Autologous Platelet Concentrates as Clinical Substitutes for Connective Tissue Graft in the Treatment of Miller Class I and II Gingival Recessions: An Updated Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of autologous platelet concentrates (APC) + coronally advanced flap (CAF) (Group A) compared with connective tissue graft (CTG) + CAF (Group B), and CAF alone (Group C), in patients with Miller Class I or II gingival recessions. Relevant articles published before December 2018 were retrieved electronically without date or language restriction and screened according to inclusion criteria. Quantitative meta-analysis was conducted comparing the groups. The inverse variance method was applied in fixed or random effects models according to heterogeneity. Sixteen randomized controlled trials were included. Root coverage (RC), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival thickness (GT), and probing depth (PD) did not differ significantly between Groups A and B. The keratinized gingival width (KGW) of Group A was significantly less than that of Group B. The RC and GT of Group A were significantly greater than that in Group C. CAL and PD for Group A were lower than for Group C. KGW for Group A did not differ significantly from that of Group C. The results suggested that APC + CAF represents a promising alternative for root coverage for Miller Class I and II gingival recession defects. Nevertheless, CTG + CAF exhibits superior outcomes in terms of KGW. Hence, in scenarios lacking keratinized gingiva (Miller Class II), APC + CAF might not be the most suitable therapeutic choice.