Effects on patients postoperative morbidity and donor site wound healing of A-PRF and CGF application after free gingival graft harvesting: a comparative randomized clinical trial

The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate the effects of concentrated growth factor (CGF) and advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) clot membranes on palatal epithelial wound healing and postoperative discomfort following free gingival graft (FGG) harvesting. Forty-five patients who underwent FGG harvesting were randomly allocated into three groups: (1) control group ( n = 15), receiving only a sterile gelatin sponge; (2) A-PRF group ( n = 15), receiving A-PRF clot membranes; and (3) CGF group ( n = 15), receiving CGF clot membranes at the donor site. The epithelization rate, color match, and sensation scores of the palatal wound were assessed at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks postoperatively. Pain levels, analgesic consumption, and bleeding time were self-reported by patients for the first 7 days of healing. No significant differences in epithelialization and sensitivity scores were observed among the groups at any time point ( P >.05). Palatal color matching was superior in the A-PRF and CGF groups compared to the control group at 1 and 2 weeks ( P <.05). Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and the number of analgesic tablets consumed were lower in the CGF group than in the control group on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 ( P <.05). At 14 days, VAS pain scores were significantly lower in both the A-PRF and CGF groups compared to the control group ( P <.05). Immediate bleeding time at the donor site was significantly reduced in the A-PRF and CGF groups compared to the control group ( P <.05), while no significant differences were found among the groups regarding late bleeding at 7 days postoperatively ( P >.05). Although CGF demonstrated a slight advantage over A-PRF membranes, the findings indicate that neither CGF nor A-PRF accelerates epithelialization or palatal wound healing. However, the benefits of A-PRF and CGF appear to be mainly limited to postoperative comfort and immediate hemostasis rather than acceleration of epithelialization or sensory recovery. Application of A-PRF and CGF may reduce immediate bleeding and postoperative pain following FGG harvesting. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07439068, registered on 10 February 2026. (Retrospectively registered)