Patient-Centered Assessment of Palatal Donor Site Healing Using Platelet-Rich Fibrin Versus Collagen: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Effective care of the palatal donor site after graft removal is vital for patient comfort and wound recovery. This study evaluated the effectiveness of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) compared with a collagen sponge as a dressing for palatal donor sites and its effects on patient-reported outcome measures. Materials and Methods: Patients requiring soft-tissue augmentation were enrolled in this randomized controlled clinical trial. They were divided into two groups: PRF (experimental group) and collagen sponge (control group). De-epithelialized free gingival grafts were harvested from the palate, and donor sites were treated with either PRF or collagen sponge dressings. Patient-reported outcomes and wound-healing rates were evaluated. Results: Physical pain and physical disability scores were significantly better in the PRF group. Postoperative pain scores measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) were notably lower in the PRF group. No significant differences were found in psychological disability, social disability, or handicap scores between the groups. Conclusion: PRF appears to offer superior outcomes compared with collagen sponge for palatal donor-site management, including better patient comfort, faster healing, and cost-effectiveness. Further research is needed to establish the advantages of PRF over conventional treatments.