Background: Autogenous soft tissue grafts harvested from the palate are frequently used in periodontal plastic surgery but are associated with postoperative pain and donor-site morbidity due to healing by secondary intention. Various materials have been tested to minimize discomfort, with reinforced gelatin sponge (GS) showing promising results owing to its bioactive, absorbable, and hemostatic properties.
Aim: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of reinforced GS compared with plain GS in reducing
postoperative pain and enhancing wound healing following palatal graft harvesting.
Methods: A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Semantic Scholar,
ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to January 2025. Studies
comparing reinforced GS with plain GS for palatal wound management were included. Risk of bias was assessed using
the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (ROB 2) tool, and certainty of evidence was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.
Results: Three RCTs (n = 165) were included. All studies reported improved pain control with reinforced GS,
particularly when combined with cyanoacrylate, hyaluronic acid, or melatonin. The certainty of evidence was moderate for pain and low for wound healing.
Conclusion: Reinforced GS significantly enhances postoperative comfort and healing compared with plain GS,
warranting further large-scale RCTs.
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