Effect of Platelet-Derived Concentrated Growth Factor on Single-Layer, Multi-Layer, and Crushed Onlay Cartilage Grafts

Novel Applications of Concentrated Growth Factors in Facial Rejuvenation and Plastic Surgery

Concentrated growth factor (CGF), which is a third-generation platelet concentrate product, exhibits good potential for repair and regeneration of soft and hard tissues, and has gradually attracted attention in the field of cosmetic plastic surgery. The purpose of this review is to summarize the application and research of CGF in the field of facial rejuvenation and plastic surgery. A comprehensive review of the literature about the applications of CGF in facial rejuvenation and plastic surgery was conducted in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 22 articles were included in this review. In recent years, CGF has been applied in many aspects in the field of facial rejuvenation and plastic surgery, including skin photoaging, repairment of soft-tissue defects, rhinoplasty, hair loss, autologous fat transplantation, and scars. In addition, no significant adverse reactions have been reported so far. CGF is rich in high-concentration growth factors, which has great potential and application prospects in facial rejuvenation and plastic surgery. However, the applications of CGF still have some problems, such as the mechanism, time of decomposition, and long-term efficacy and safety, which are needed to be resolved in future.

Methodological Quality of Open Access Compared to Traditional Journal Publications in the Plastic Surgery Literature

BACKGROUND

The methodological quality of open access studies has long been questioned due to increasing popularity and accessibility. The objective of this study is to compare the methodological quality of open access versus traditional journal publications in the plastic surgery literature.

METHODS

Four traditional plastic surgery journals with their sister open access journals were chosen. For each of the eight journals, 10 articles were randomly selected for inclusion. Methodological quality was examined using validated instruments. Publication descriptors were compared to methodological quality values using ANOVA. Logistic regression was used to compare quality scores between open access and traditional journals.

RESULTS

There was a wide distribution of levels of evidence, with a quarter being level one. Regression of non-randomized studies indicated a significantly higher proportion of traditional journal articles were of high methodological quality (89.6%) when compared to open access journals (55.6%; p < 0.05). This difference persisted in three quarter of the sister journal groups. No publication descriptions were associated with methodological quality.

CONCLUSIONS

Methodological quality scores were higher among traditional access journals. Higher degrees of peer review may be necessary to ensure appropriate methodological quality in open access plastic surgery publications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Clinical application of concentrate growth factors combined with bone substitute in Alveolar ridge preservation of anterior teeth

Objective

To investigate the clinical effect of concentrated growth factors (CGF) combined with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) on Alveolar ridge preservation during implantology.

Methods

A total of 38 patients were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups, with 19 cases in each group. The extraction sockets were filled with DBBM with or without CGF. Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score was recorded within1 week and Landry wound healing index (LWHI) was recorded at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after operation. CBCT was taken preoperatively and 3 and 6 months postoperatively to measure and compare the changes of vertical height, width and gray value of alveolar bone at extraction site. The changes of alveolar bone contour were observed clinically and compared between the two groups.

Results

The VAS score of CGF group was lower than control group on the 1st and 3rd day after operation (P < 0.05). The LWHI of CGF group was higher than control group 1 week after operation (P < 0.05). The absorption of the labial and palatal plates height and the width in the CGF group was significantly less than the control group at 3 months (P < 0.05). The gray value of alveolar bone in CGF group was significantly higher than control group at 3 months (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in new bone contour between the two groups (P > 0.05). 94.7% cases in CGF group did not undergo bone grafting, which was significantly higher than control group (78.9%).

Conclusions

The use of CGF combined with DBBM can help to reduce postoperative pain at the early stage of healing, form sufficient keratinized gingival tissue, effectively maintain the height and width of alveolar bone in the three-dimensional direction and provide good conditions for implant repair in the future.

Extracellular vesicles derived from starving BMSCs enhance survival of chondrocyte aggregates in grafts by attenuating chondrocyte apoptosis and enabling stable cartilage regeneration for craniofacial reconstruction

The improvement of cell survival in cartilage tissue engineering remains a challenge, especially for large-sized, specifically shaped cartilage grafts used in reconstructing craniofacial defects. In this study, we found that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) pre-conditioned in a starving environment enhanced the anti-apoptosis potential of co-transplanted chondrocytes, which significantly enhanced their survival rates before host nutrition was resumed. Further examination revealed that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from starving BMSCs played essential roles in ameliorating apoptosis and regulating autophagy of chondrocytes, thereby enhancing the survival of cultured chondrocytes. In vivo studies demonstrated that EVs derived from starving BMSCs significantly improved the survival of chondrocyte bricks, which confirmed the effects of nasal augmentation. These pre-treated chondrocyte bricks showed continuous cartilage growth in vivo and acquired chondrogenesis comparable to that following the chondrocyte-BMSC co-transplantation approach. This study provided new insights on how BMSC-derived EVs improved cartilage reconstruction in the craniofacial regions and offered a new approach for regenerating cartilaginous organs based on cell macroaggregates. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) of mesenchymal stem cells has been considered as a promising approach in cartilage tissue engineering. In the present study, for the first time, we investigated the protective effect of EVs secreted by starving bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that EVs secreted by starving BMSCs inhibited chondrocyte apoptosis and chondrocyte autophagy through many microRNAs, thereby improving the survival of grafts. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the potential mechanisms of this protective effect.