title: The heat-compression technique for the conversion of platelet-rich fibrin preparation to a barrier membrane with a reduced rate of biodegradation.
abstract: Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) was developed as an advanced form of platelet-rich plasma to eliminate xenofactors, such as bovine thrombin, and it is mainly used as a source of growth factor for tissue regeneration. Furthermore, although a minor application, PRF in a compressed membrane-like form has also been used as a substitute for commercially available barrier membranes in guided-tissue regeneration (GTR) treatment. However, the PRF membrane is resorbed within 2 weeks or less at implantation sites; therefore, it can barely maintain sufficient space for bone regeneration. In this study, we developed and optimized a heat-compression technique and tested the feasibility of the resulting PRF membrane. Freshly prepared human PRF was first compressed with dry gauze and subsequently with a hot iron. Biodegradability was microscopically examined in vitro by treatment with plasmin at 37°C or in vivo by subcutaneous implantation in nude mice. Compared with the control gauze-compressed PRF, the heat-compressed PRF appeared plasmin-resistant and remained stable for longer than 10 days in vitro. Additionally, in animal implantation studies, the heat-compressed PRF was observed at least for 3 weeks postimplantation in vivo whereas the control PRF was completely resorbed within 2 weeks. Therefore, these findings suggest that the heat-compression technique reduces the rate of biodegradation of the PRF membrane without sacrificing its biocompatibility and that the heat-compressed PRF membrane easily could be prepared at chair-side and applied as a barrier membrane in the GTR treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Bioengineering, Institute of Medicine and Dentistry, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Mana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Mito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Larry F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshie
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry*; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D005337:Fibrin
keywords: barrier membrane; biodegradability; guided tissue regeneration; plasmin; platelet-rich fibrin