title: Enhancement of bone regeneration with the combination of platelet-rich fibrin and synthetic graft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a relatively new developed platelet concentrate with several benefits over platelet-rich plasma. The aim of this study was to compare healing properties of PRF and its combination with a ceramic synthetic material (graft) composed of hydroxyapatite and b-tricalcium phosphate in an animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A bone deficit was surgically created in each femoral condyle of 15 New Zealand white rabbits. In each animal, 1 limb had (a) PRF only and the other (b) PRF plus synthetic graft material randomly implanted. Experimental animals were killed 3 months postoperatively. Histological and radiological examinations were made by means of computed tomography and peripheral quantitative computed tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean density of the healed bone was statistically significantly greater when synthetic material was used (P < 0.0005). Moreover, combination of PRF with the synthetic material resulted in more cortical and subcortical bone formation (P = 0.038 and P = 0.037, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of the ceramic material significantly increased the formation of new bone, providing a better substrate for bone regeneration.
authors.affiliation: From the *Laboratory for Research of the Musculoskeletal System, School of Medicine, University of Athens; and †Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece; ‡School of Dentistry, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; and § "Digital Dental Imaging" and ∥Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Cleopatra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nacopoulos
authors.forename: Ismene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dontas
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lelovas
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galanos
authors.forename: Anna-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vesalas
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raptou
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mastoris
authors.forename: Eustathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chronopoulos
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002516:Ceramics; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery; D005337:Fibrin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006882:Hydroxyapatites / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D006882:Hydroxyapatites; C074950:hydroxyapatite-beta tricalcium phosphate; D005337:Fibrin