Wound-healing agents for palatal donor area: A network meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Periodontology
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Assessing wound-healing agents for palatal donor sites post-soft tissue graft harvesting.
• Systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare treatment efficacies.
• Focus on managing pain and promoting healing in the palatal area.

Approach:

• Conducted comprehensive electronic searches across six databases up to October 2023.
• Included studies on palatal healing after gingival graft harvesting using various agents.
• Performed Bayesian random effects NMA for pain and wound healing outcomes.

Key Points:

• All evaluated agents improved pain control and wound healing versus spontaneous healing or hemostatic sponges.
• Leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) demonstrated superior pain reduction across all time points.
• L-PRF appeared to accelerate healing and decrease complications compared to other agents.

Conclusions:

• Leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) is the most effective agent for palatal donor site management.
• L-PRF significantly reduces postoperative pain, enhances wound healing, and minimizes complications.
• This finding supports L-PRF as a primary choice for palatal wound care after grafting.