title: Tangibility of platelet-rich fibrin matrix for nasolabial folds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using autologous tissue is a simple process and ideal choice for augmentation of the soft facial tissue. In this regard, platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) is used for the correction of fine rhytids and nasolabial folds (NLFs) as well as facial augmentation. This study tries to evaluate the tangibility of PRFM for facial augmentation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 20 patients (20-45 years) were studied to examine the augmentation (4 patients were excluded). For each, 3cc of PRFM provided by using 35cc of autologous blood and injected through subdermal technique into NLFs. Thickness and volume of the tissue were measured before and 3 months after treatment by sonography. The collected data were analyzed through pairedt-test and independentt-test by using SPSS version 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 16 women, with average of 39.43 ± 6.84 years (age range, 20-45 years). The thickness and the volume of subcutaneous tissue in NLFs before and after treatment show no significant difference on the right side rather than on the left side (P> 0.05), but the thickness and the volume of the tissue on both sides after treatment shows significant increase rather than before treatment, so that this increase was significant statistically. This study shows that different right and left thickness was 0.54 ± 0.51 and 0.51 ± 0.38 (P≤ 0.001). Further, different right and left volume was 0.25 ± 0.20 and 0.26 ± 0.22, respectively (P< 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results, the increased tissue volume by PRFM still persists after 3 months of treatment and its retention has been effective on the healing process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi Rasti
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ardakani
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed Parsa
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Moein
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mozhdeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beiraghdar
keywords: Facial augmentation; nasolabial folds; platelet-rich fibrin matrix