Your blood is made up of two components: solid and liquid. The solid red cells, white cells, and platelets are suspended in a liquid called plasma. Platelets are small, colorless cell fragments in the blood whose main function is to interact with clotting proteins to stop or prevent bleeding and assist the healing process.

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Leukocyte-Platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) is an emerging method of tissue regeneration. It is widely used in various surgical fields, including head and neck surgery, otolaryngology, cardiovascular surgery, and maxillofacial surgery.

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During wound healing, platelets are among the first cells to respond at a wound site: They are critical to the initiation of the healing process. Besides their clotting effects, platelets contain a rich array of growth factors, which can assist in hard- and soft-tissue wound healing.

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L-PRF can be used in several types of oral surgery:

• Bone grafting for dental implants

• Onlay and inlay grafts

• Sinus lift procedures

• Ridge augmentation procedure

• Palate defects

• Repair of bone defects created by removal of teeth

• Repair of fistulas between the sinus cavity and mouth

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To develop L-PRF for surgical application, blood must first be drawn from the patient. The leukocytes and platelets are separated from other blood cells and their concentration is increased during a process called centrifugation.

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After proper concentration of cells, the fibrin network can be formed into membranes or added to a bone graft and applied to the surgical site to release growth factors and aid in healing.