Bone Augmentation of the Edentulous Maxilla for Implant Placement: A Systematic Review

Multiple bone augmentation techniques are available to allow implant placement in the atrophic maxilla. However, questions remain, regarding which methods are most predictable and have the best dental implant survival rate (SR) in grafted bone. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate literature from the last 30 years to determine predictability of bone grafting of the edentulous maxilla for implant placement as well as for implant SR.

A systematic review was performed of studies conducted during the period 1980 to 2014, specifically focusing on the edentulous maxilla and bone grafting. Surgical techniques discussed in the publications included were guided bone regeneration (GBR), sinus augmentation, onlay bone grafting, nasal floor grafting, and Le Fort I interpositional grafting. All identified articles were evaluated and screened to meet strict inclusion criteria of at least 10 patients, complete maxillary edentulism, 1-year follow-up, and information regarding implant SR. A total of 974 articles were identified with electronic and manual searches. On further evaluation of the titles and abstracts, 44 articles were excluded. Full texts of the articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed, of which 40 articles were included in the systematic review.

For onlay bone grafting, 16 studies were included and analyzed, and the weighted mean implant SR was 85.2%. For the GBR technique, two studies were included, with a reported SR ranging from 96.1% to 100%. For Le Fort I interpositional grafting, 11 studies were included, with a weighted mean SR of 89.6%. For the sinus augmentation technique, 12 studies were investigated and the weighted mean SR was 91.5%. For the combination technique, six studies were analyzed and the weighted mean SR was 93.6%.

All five treatment modalities discussed-onlay bone grafting, GBR, Le Fort I interpositional grafting, maxillary sinus augmentation, and/or nasal floor inlay grafting or the combination approach-can be successfully used to augment edentulous maxillary ridge with high implant SRs.