Evaluation of the effects of concentrated growth factors or advanced platelet rich-fibrin on postoperative pain, edema, and trismus following lower third molar removal: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of concentrated growth factors (CGF) and advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) on edema, pain, and trismus after mandibular third molar surgery. Material and Methods: Patients were randomly divided into A-PRF, CGF and control groups. After extraction of the third molars, A-PRF and CGF were prepared and applied to the extraction sockets in study groups, while nothing was applied to the control group. Edema was measured from 5 reference points including tragus, labial commissure, soft tissue pogonion, lateral corner of the eye/lateral canthus and angulus mandible. Trismus measured as the distance between the right lower and upper right central incisors. Trismus and edema were measured preoperatively, and on postoperative 2nd and 7th days. Pain evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) between 6th hour and 7th day after surgery. Results: A total of 75 patients, 25 in each group, were included in the study. The change in tragus to labial commissure measurements showed a significant difference between baseline-7th days among control and CGF groups (P= 0.038). Significant differences observed between the tragus to pogonion measurements at baseline-7th days among the control-CGF groups (P= 0.014), and A-PRF-CGF groups (P = 0.038). Secondary outcome variables trismus, pain, and analgesic consumption showed no significant differences among the groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that A-PRF and CGF seem to have no positive effects on pain, edema, and trismus after third molar surgery. Abbreviations: A-PRF, advanced platelet-rich fibrin; CGF, concentrated growth factors.