Platelet Concentrates
Platelet concentrates are a by-product of blood (plasma) that are rich in platelets. Until now, its use has been confined to the hospital setting. This was due mainly to the cost of separating the platelets from the blood and the large amount of blood needed to produce a suitable quantity of platelets. New technology permits doctors to harvest and produce a sufficient quantity of platelets blood, which is drawn from the patient while they are having outpatient surgery.
Why all the excitement about PRF?
PRF is a second generation platlet concentrate. The first generation was platelet rich plasma. Platelet rich plasma required longer processing times. It also required the addition of anticoagulants that kept the blood from clotting. PRF doesn’t use any unatural products during processing and is simply a concentrated form of your own blood. Since platelet rich fibrin is complexed in a clot it releases its growth factors more naturally over an extended period of time. Think of it as a time released growth factor carier.
PRF permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate. During the healing process, the body rushes many cells and cell-types to the wound in order to initiate the healing process. One of those cell types is platelets. Platelets perform many functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors (GF) into the wound. These growth factors; platelet derived growth factors (PDGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF), and insulin-like growth factor (ILGF), function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue. The more growth factors released and sequestered into the wound, the more stem cells are stimulated to produce new tissue. Thus, PRF permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently.
What is it used for?
At Alabama Surgical Arts we use PRF for many applications. It is used in cosmetic surgery to increase wound healing. It is used after thrid molar extraction to decrease the risk of dry socket. It is used to aid bone grafting for dental implants. This includes onlay and inlay grafts, sinus lift procedures, ridge augmentation procedures, closure of cleft and/or lip, and palate defects. It can also assist in repair of bone defects created by removal of teeth, or small cysts and repair of fistulas between the sinus cavity and mouth. The highest level of research available, a meta analysis, recently showed PRF had a positive effect for a majority of procedures listed above. Click here for a link ot the study.
PRF Also Has Many Advantages
- Safety: PRF is a by-product of the patient’s own blood, therefore, disease transmission is not an issue.
- Convenience: PRF can be generated in the doctor’s office while the patient is undergoing an outpatient surgical procedure such as the placement of dental implants.
- Faster healing: The supersaturation of the wound with PRF, and thus growth factors, produces an increase of tissue synthesis and faster tissue regeneration.
- Cost effectiveness: Since PRF harvesting is done with less than 40 cc’s of blood in the doctor’s office, the patient need not incur the expense of the harvesting procedure in hospital or at a blood bank.
- Ease of use: PRF is easy to handle and actually improves the ease of application of bone substitute materials and bone grafting products by making them more gel-like.
Frequently Asked Questions About PRF
Is PRF safe? Yes. During the outpatient surgical procedure a small amount of your own blood is drawn out via the IV. This blood is then placed in the PRF centrifuge machine and spun down. In less than 5 minutes, the PRF is formed and ready to use.
Should PRF be used in all bone-grafting cases? Not always. In some cases, there is no need for PRF. However, in the majority of cases, application of PRF to the bone graft will increase the final amount of bone present, in addition to making the wound heal faster and more efficiently.
Will my insurance cover the costs? Some may. The cost of the PRF application (approximately $300) is paid by the patient.
Can PRP be used alone to stimulate bone formation? No. PRF must be mixed with either the patient’s own bone, a bone substitute material such as demineralized freeze-dried bone, or a synthetic bone product, such as BIO-OSS.
Are there any contraindications to PRF? Very few. Obviously, patients with bleeding disorders or hematologic diseases do not qualify for this in-office procedure. Check with your surgeon and/or primary care physician to determine if PRF is right for you.
Curious About Platelet Rich Fibrin?
Our oral surgeons can discuss the use of PRF in greater detail during your consultation. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!