Construction and evaluation of platelet concentrate/mesoporous bioactive glass composite scaffolds for bone repair: injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) vs. concentrated growth factors (CGF)

Rapid repair and functional reconstruction of maxillofacial bone defects is a significant challenge in the field of stomatology. Artificial bone substitute materials show promising potential in maxillofacial bone regeneration. This study investigated the bone regenerative effects of platelet concentrate/mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) composite scaffolds, comparing injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) and gel-phase concentrated growth factors (gpCGF). In vitro results showed though gpCGF excelled in promoting proliferation and migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) compared to i-PRF, in the in vivo rabbit mandibular defect model, i-PRF/MBG composite scaffolds showed superior bone regenerative outcomes, as assessed by Micro-CT and histological analyses. The simpler in situ preparation process of i-PRF-composited scaffolds resulted in higher retention of active components, while the complex extraction and preparation of gpCGF might have compromised its bioactivity. This study highlights the potential of i-PRF/MBG composite scaffolds in enhancing bone regeneration and suggests that i-PRF, with its higher concentration of bioactive factors and feasibility of compositing with scaffolds, offered an economically efficient solution for clinical bone repair, providing new insights for the development of future orthopedic biomaterials.