Effect of adjuvant autologous platelet concentrates on secondary repair of alveolar clefts: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objective To review the existing evidence on the adjuvant use of autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) with iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in the reconstruction of the secondary alveolar cleft. Methods Electronic databases were searched systematically until November 2022. Clinical trials comparing the three‐dimensional radiological outcomes of patients who underwent secondary alveolar bone grafting (SABG) with ICBG and APCs to those with ICBG alone and the radiological outcomes assessed 6 months after surgery were included. Two authors performed the study selection and the assessment of the risk of bias. Meta‐analysis was performed using the random‐effects model to determine the risk ratio (RR) for developing wound dehiscence and the mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the percentage of newly formed bone. Results Nine studies (seven RCT and two CCT) were included with a low to high risk of bias. At the 6‐month follow‐up, the study group revealed insignificant results regarding the percentage of newly formed bone (MD = 6.49; 95% CI: −0.97, 13.94; p = .09; χ2 = 0.01; I2 = 71%). In addition, the overall risk of developing wound dehiscence was lower in the study group (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.78; p = .01; χ2 = 0.67; I2 = 0%). Conclusion Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support the adjuvant use of APCs with ICBG on enhanced bone regeneration following secondary alveolar bone grafting. However, combining ICBG and APCs might be beneficial in reducing the risk of developing wound dehiscence.