Platelet Rich Plasma & Platelet Rich Fibrin in Nashville TN
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) and platelet rich fibrin (PRF) are by-products of blood (plasma) that are rich in platelets. Until now, their 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 from only 10-20 cc of blood, which is drawn from the patient while they are having outpatient surgery.
Why all the excitement about PRP/PRF?
PRP and PRF permit 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, PRP and PRF permit the body to heal faster and more efficiently.
A subfamily of TGF, is bone morphogenic protein (BMP). BMP has been shown to induce the formation of new bone in research studies in both animals and humans. This is of great significance to the surgeon who places dental implants. By adding PRP and/or PRF, and BMP, to the implant site with bone substitute particles, the implant surgeon can now grow bone more predictably and faster than ever before.
PRP/PRF Have Many Clinical Applications
PRP/PRF can be 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.
PRP/PRF Also Have Many Advantages
- Safety: PRP/PRF are by-products of the patient’s own blood, therefore, disease transmission is not an issue.
- Convenience: PRP/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 PRP or placement of PRF, and thus addition of growth factors, produces an increase of tissue synthesis and faster tissue regeneration.
- Cost effectiveness: Since PRP and PRF harvesting are done with only 10-20 cc 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: PRP/PRF are easy to handle and actually improve the ease of application of bone substitute materials and bone grafting products by making them more gel-like.
Frequently Asked Questions About PRP/PRF
Is PRP/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 PRP centrifuge machine and spun down. In less than 15 minutes, the PRP/PRF are formed and ready to use.
Should PRP/PRF be used in all bone-grafting cases? Not always. In some cases, there is no need for PRP or PRF. However, in the majority of cases, application of PRP and/or 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? Unfortunately not. The cost of application of platelet blood products (approximately $250) is paid by the patient.
Can PRP be used alone to stimulate bone formation? No. PRP 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 PRP or 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 PRP and/or PRF is right for you.
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