Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Fractures: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have reported the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in promoting and enhancing bone healing, many orthopedic physicians remain skeptical of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of fractures. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of PRP in the treatment of fractures. METHODS: We search for research on PRP treatment of fractures in Pubmed, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane libraries. Two independent reviewers assessed included studies and met to develop a consensus on included studies. We also assessed the risk of bias using Review Manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: The present meta-analysis included 10 randomized controlled trials (RCT) containing 652 patients. In the fixed-effect meta-analysis of 10 RCTs, 8 RCTs found that fracture patients benefited from PRP treatment. The use of PRP reduced the time of fracture healing in 4 RCTs. Three RCTs found that PRP adjuvant therapy enhanced bone mineral density in the fracture trace and reduced the time of bone regeneration in mandibular fractures patients (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.99, 95%confidence interval (CI) = −2.64–−1.35). And 3 RCTs found that PRP adjuvant therapy decreased the risk of revision surgery in fracture patients (SMD = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.10–3.04). CONCLUSION: PRP adjuvant therapy is beneficial for the treatment of fracture patients, particularly those with mandibular fractures, and decreased the risk of revision surgery in fracture patients.