Plasma Rich in Growth Factors Improves Patients’ Postoperative Quality of Life in Maxillary Sinus Floor Augmentation: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Clinical Study Massimo Del Fabbro, BSc, PhD;* Stefano Corbella, DDS, PhD; † Valentina Ceresoli, MSc; ‡ Caterina Ceci, MSc; ‡ Silvio Taschieri, MD, DDS § ABSTRACT Purpose: The control of postoperative discomfort may improve the patient’s quality of life as well as treatment acceptance. The aim of the present preliminary report was to assess if the use of autologous platelet concentrate during maxillary sinus augmentation may have a favorable impact on pain and other factors related to patient’s quality of life in the first week after surgery. Materials and Methods: This is an interim report of a randomized single-blind study. Fifteen patients with atrophic edentulous posterior maxilla underwent maxillary sinus augmentation using deproteinized bovine bone matrix (DBBM) as the grafting material (control group). In other 15 patients (test group), autologous plasma rich in growth factors (P-PRP) was added to DBBM, then a P-PRP clot was applied to covering the graft before suturing and finally P-PRP was placed over the suture in liquid form. During the first week postsurgery, all patients filled in a questionnaire for evaluation of main symptoms and daily activities. The outcomes of the questionnaires of the two groups were statistically compared. Results: In the first days postsurgery, the group using P-PRP reported significantly less pain, swelling, and hematoma, and improved functional activities with respect to the control group. Conclusions: The adjunct of P-PRP to the maxillary sinus augmentation procedure produced a beneficial effect to patients’ quality of life in the early postsurgical phase. KEY WORDS: growth factors, maxillary sinus augmentation, platelet concentrate, quality of life, sinus grafting T he maxillary sinus floor augmentation is an oral surgical procedure that allows to extend implant- supported rehabilitation to patients with atrophic posterior maxilla. Autogenous bone has long been con- sidered the gold standard grafting material because of its osteoinductive, osteogenic, and osteoconductive proper- ties. Over the years, several modifications to the original protocol have been carried out in order to improve the predictability of clinical outcomes and, at the same time, to reduce donor site morbidity. In fact, many bone substitutes have been introduced in order to provide a scaffold for optimal bone growth and to limit the need for a second surgical site, saving the patients from demanding harvesting procedures. 1–7 In particular, various types of allografts, xenografts, and alloplastic materials have been used, alone or in combination with autogenous bone, to simplify the *Academic researcher, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Dental Clinic, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; and director of Research Center in Oral Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; † visiting professor, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy, and Dental Clinic, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; ‡ PhD student, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sci- ences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy, and Dental Clinic, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; § PhD student, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Dental Clinic, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; and Research Center in Oral Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy Reprint requests: Dr. Massimo Del Fabbro, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Via Riccardo Galeazzi, 4, 20161 – Milan, Italy; e-mail: massimo.delfabbro@unimi.it © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI 10.1111/cid.12171 708