Maxillary Sinus Membrane Repair With Amnion-Chorion Barriers: A Retrospective Case Series

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Periodontology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Schneiderian membrane perforation is a common complication during maxillary sinus augmentation, potentially leading to post-surgical issues.
• Existing repair techniques, while successful, are often complex and time-consuming.
• Amnion-chorion membranes offer a potentially simpler alternative for repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simplified method for repairing Schneiderian membrane perforations using amnion-chorion membranes.
• To evaluate the outcomes of this technique in a series of maxillary sinus augmentation cases.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of consecutive maxillary sinus augmentation cases over five years was conducted.
• Nine cases with Schneiderian membrane perforations were identified and repaired using amnion-chorion membranes.
• All repaired sinuses were augmented with a combination of allograft and xenograft bone particulate.

Main Results:

• Nine perforations occurred in 104 sinus augmentations; all were repaired successfully with amnion-chorion membranes.
• Dental implants were placed after an average healing period of 4.9 months in the augmented sinuses.
• One implant failure (4.3%) was noted in the 23 implants placed in augmented sinuses with previous perforations.

Conclusions:

• The use of amnion-chorion membranes provides a simplified and effective method for repairing Schneiderian membrane perforations.
• Implant success rates in augmented sinuses with repaired perforations were comparable to those without perforations (one failure vs. three failures).
• This technique shows promise for improving outcomes in maxillary sinus augmentation procedures complicated by membrane perforations.