Maxillary sinus lateral wall thickness and morphologic patterns in the atrophic posterior maxilla

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Anatomy

Background:

• Atrophic posterior maxilla presents challenges for dental implant placement.
• Understanding maxillary sinus lateral wall thickness (LWT) is crucial for sinus augmentation procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the sinus lateral wall thickness (LWT) in atrophic posterior maxilla (<10 mm) patients.
• To determine the influence of residual ridge height (RH), sex, and age on maxillary LWT.

Main Methods:

• 140 patients with complete or partial edentulism underwent 414 measurements of RH and LWT.
• Measurements were taken using a digital caliper on sagittal sections.
• A mixed linear model analyzed the effects of sex, edentulism type, edentulous span, and RH on LWT.

Main Results:

• Mean LWT was 1.71 ± 0.12 mm for partial edentulism (PEM) and 1.57 ± 0.07 mm for complete edentulism (CEM).
• Edentulous span and RH significantly influenced LWT (P < 0.05).
• Longer edentulous spans and greater RH were associated with thinner LWT.

Conclusions:

• Maxillary sinus lateral wall thickness increases from premolar to molar regions and with greater distance from the sinus floor.
• RH, adjacent teeth presence, and age significantly influence maxillary sinus LWT.
• Findings provide valuable insights for pre-surgical planning in atrophic maxilla cases.