Muharrem Ergün DUDAK, Aylin ÇALIŞ, İlkay AYDOĞDU, Selin KENÇ, Gözde IŞIK
Türk Geriatri Dergisi - 2026;29(3):379-388
Introduction: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a challenging complication associated with the use of anti-resorptive and anti-angiogenic medications, often impairing bone healing and quality of life. Recent regenerative approaches, such as leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin, have attracted interest because of their potential to improve treatment outcomes by supporting angiogenesis, soft tissue healing, and bone regeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of leukocyte-and platelet-rich fibrin in promoting healing in patients with stage 2 and 3 osteonecrosis. Materials and Method: This retrospective clinical study included 21 patients (8 males, 13 females; mean age: 66.9 years) diagnosed with stage 2 or 3 osteonecrosis and treated at a single-center oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic. Patients were grouped on the basis of the application of platelet-rich fibrin during surgery. Clinical healing was assessed postoperatively and classified as primarily healed or primarily not healed. Results: In the platelet-rich fibrin group (n = 9), 88.9% of patients achieved primary healing, whereas 66.7% of patients in the non- platelet-rich fibrin group achieved primary healing (n = 12) (p = 0.338). Healing was achieved in 100% of stage 2 patients and 83.3% of stage 3 patients treated with platelet-rich fibrin. Drug type, usage duration, and etiology were not significantly associated with healing outcomes. Conclusion: Platelet-rich fibrin tended to improve postoperative healing in osteonecrosis patients, especially in stage 2 patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. These findings support the potential use of platelet-rich fibrin as an adjunctive treatment and highlight the need for further studies with larger sample sizes.
