Investigation of the effect of fibrin glue as a sealant in the unilateral alveolar bone grafting successes

BACKGROUND: Bone grafting is the primary treatment for the alveolar cleft. Due to the reduced complications by the sealant materials, this study aimed to evaluate fibrin glue's effect on the success rate of unilateral alveolar bone grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a single-blind clinical trial performed on 20 patients with a unilateral alveolar cleft. Patients were randomly divided into groups: group A patients as a control group underwent bone grafting without fibrin glue, and in Group B, patients were grafted using fibrin glue. The subject was followed up through routine examination and the cone-beam computed tomography systems technique for up to 4 months. Paired t-test and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the data and the P < 0.05 was considered the significance threshold. RESULTS: The mean age, gender, and cleft side distribution did not represent significant differences. Before surgery, the average alveolar cleft volume in Group A and B patients was 0.95 ± 0.25 cm(3) and 0.99 ± 0.22 cm(3), respectively, which was not statistically different. After the surgery procedure, the alveolar cleft volume in Group A and B patients was determined to be 0.31 ± 0.10 cm(3) and 0.23 ± 0.11 cm(3), which represented 66.7% ± 8.9% cm(3) and 76.2 ± 11.4 cm(3) bone formation, respectively, with no remarkable difference. Our examination did not reveal any necrosis and infection in both groups. However, despite no dehiscence observation in fibrin glue treatment patients, one subject showed dehiscence complication in the control group. CONCLUSION: According to results, fibrin glue may increase the percentage of bone volume formed and prevent dehiscence.