A Meta-Analysis of the Evidence for Assisted Therapy with Platelet-Rich Plasma for Atrophic Acne Scars

The meta-analysis reviewed seven studies with a total of 249 participants to evaluate the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as an assisted therapy for atrophic acne scars. The studies involved treatments like fractional carbon laser therapy and microneedling in combination with PRP. Results showed a significantly higher improvement in the PRP group compared to the control group, with an odds ratio of 8.19 and a weighted mean difference in improvement score of 23.73, both with p-values less than 0.00001, despite substantial heterogeneity among the studies. Side effects such as erythema and edema were fewer in the PRP groups, but not to a statistically significant extent. The analysis concluded that PRP is a useful assisted therapy for atrophic acne scars, but further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.