title: Hyaluronic acid to improve healing of surgical incisions in the oral cavity: a pilot multicentre placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronic acid to improve the healing of surgical incisions in the oral cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six Italian private practices participated in this trial, each centre provided 12 patients. After suturing, patients were randomised to receive either a single application of 0.8% hyaluronic acid or a placebo (the carrier). Outcome measures were: assessment of wound healing 10 days post-operatively on a Likert scale by the blind operators and by an independent and blinded outcome assessor on the photographs, adverse events and post-operative complications. Reproducibility was assessed by evaluating agreement between operators and the independent outcome assessor using the weighted Kappa statistic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six patients were evaluated in each group, at ten days none had dropped-out. No post-operative complications or adverse events occurred. There were no statistically significant differences for wound healing, assessed clinically by the blinded operators or on photographs evaluated by a blinded and independent outcomes assessor. There was a substantial agreement between operators and the independent outcome assessor in the wound scoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyaluronic acid placed over surgical incisions in the oral cavity does not appear to improve wound healing. Further trials are needed to better understand the potential role of hyalulonic acid in dental applications.
authors.affiliation: Section of Implantology and Oral Rehabilitation, Department of Odontology, Galeazzi Institute, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zuffetti
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parenti
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Testori
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery*; D009336:Necrosis; D010519:Periodontium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery*; D023861:Photography, Dental; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010919:Placebos; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000209:etiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D005337:Fibrin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid