Bioactive glass granules as a bone adjunctive material in maxillary sinus floor augmentation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Sinus floor augmentation is crucial for dental implant placement in the posterior maxilla.
• Autologous bone (AB) chips are the gold standard but have limitations.
• Bioactive glass (BG) granules offer potential as a bone graft substitute.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of bioactive glass (BG) granules combined with autologous bone (AB) chips for maxillary sinus floor augmentation.
• To compare bone regeneration in augmented sinuses using BG-AB mixture versus AB alone.

Main Methods:

• Bilateral sinus floor augmentation in 17 patients.
• Experimental group: 1:1 mixture of BG granules and AB chips (BG-AB group).
• Control group: AB chips alone (AB group).
• Histological, SEM, and EDX analyses of biopsies taken at 21-34 and 49-62 weeks.

Main Results:

• Lamellar bone growth observed in all specimens.
• Thicker bone lamellae in the BG-AB group compared to the AB group.
• Histomorphometry showed similar bone percentages (26-29%) at different time points.
• Bone-BG complex demonstrated intimate contact and chemical bonding.
• BG granules showed signs of dissolution over time.

Conclusions:

• Bioactive glass (BG) granules (S53P4) are suitable for sinus floor augmentation when combined with autologous bone (AB) chips.
• This combination may reduce the required volume of autologous bone.
• Further research on biomechanical properties of the BG-AB complex with implants is warranted.