Sinus floor elevation: a revised osteotome technique and its biological concept

The osteotome sinus floor elevation technique is commonly used to augment and enhance the insufficient maxillary posterior ridge for optimal implant placement. This 8-year retrospective study presents a revised method of the original Summers technique, differing from other protocols in that no artificial graft material is placed in the newly created space. It is believed that the blood coagulum formed beneath the tented Schneiderian membrane will be converted to the newly created osseous tissue. With this procedure, the gain of sinus elevation ranged from 2.18 mm to 5.42 mm, the average augmentation being 3.25 mm. Among the 61 fixtures placed, 5 failed because of poor quality bone and peri-implantitis. The overall cumulative success rate was 91.8%. If primary stability can be achieved, this technique can be applied for the residual ridge of 3 mm to 4 mm in height. The study also showed that the standard diameter fixtures (3.75 mm or 4 mm) 8.5 mm to 10 mm long can be functionally loaded in these sinus augmented ridges.