Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS) as Adjunctive Therapy for Post-Extraction Wound Healing in Dogs

Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS) as Adjunctive Therapy for Post-Extraction Wound Healing in Dogs

Laura Šakarnytė, Indrė Matsuzaki, Julien Troillet, Modestas Ružauskas

This retrospective study investigated the therapeutic potential of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) as an adjunctive therapy to improve periodontal wound healing after 109, 209 tooth extraction in dogs. Tooth extraction is a common procedure in veterinary dentistry practice with reported complications such as wound dehiscence, delayed healing, alveolar osteitis, and infection. ACS, derived from the patient's own blood, exhibits biologic activity that offers promising potential as an adjunctive therapy to accelerate tissue repair processes. Serum contains biological active components like growth factors and cytokines, that promote cellular activation, angiogenesis, and regeneration.
Data from 20 dogs that received adjunctive ACS treatment were compared to data from 20 dogs that received standard of care. ACS was applied locally to the extraction site via soaked collagen sponges before surgical closure. Pre-and postoperative dental radiography was conducted for all cases. All dogs received caudal maxillary regional block, and were sedated with the same protocol. All surgical sites were closed with 5-0 Poliglecaprone 25. Following the procedure meloxicam was applied orally for 5 days. No antibiotics were administered.
Healing outcomes were assessed retrospectively using the Early Wound Healing Score (EHS) system applied during follow-up examinations on days 3, 7, and 14 post-extractions. Animals with recorded aggression or other behavioral issues were excluded. Analysis revealed that dogs treated with ACS exhibited a significantly improved healing process compared to controls. By day 3, the ACS group showed a 71% increase of EHS from baseline compared to a 47% increase in the control group (p = 0.011, d = 0.79). By day 7, the ACS group’s EHS reached 91% while the control group’s EHS was 78% (p = 0.046, d = 0.81). By day 14, no significant differences between EHS scores were identified. Notably, these improvements were consistent across subgroups, regardless of the dog’s age, weight, breed, feeding type, tooth position or reason for extraction.
Our findings support the hypothesis that autologous conditioned serum facilitates early wound stabilization, resolves inflammation, and accelerates soft tissue regeneration after tooth extraction, eliminating the risk of complications. ACS may represent a valuable addition to minimally invasive regenerative medicine strategies in veterinary dentistry.