Influence of Sinus Floor Configuration on Grafted Bone Remodeling After Osteotome Sinus Floor Elevation

This study investigates influence of the sinus floor configuration on dimensional stability of grafted bone height after the osteotome sinus grafting procedure.

Forty single-tooth dental implants inserted after placement of bioglass and/or allograft into the sinus area using an osteotome technique in 37 patients were evaluated in this retrospective study. Periapical radiographs were taken using the long-cone technique before and after implant placement. Specifically, radiographic measurements of grafted bone height at the mesial and distal side of each implant were taken, and the sinus floor configuration was classified into concave, angle, and flat according to the sinus floor profile at the implant site. Furthermore, the intruding angle, defined as the angle between the implant axis and sinus floor, was measured.

All implants were clinically stable during a mean follow-up period of 39.2 months. Mean initial gain of sinus grafted bone height was 7.0 ± 1.9 mm, and later it was reduced to 4.6 ± 1.9 mm at follow-up (P <0.001). A greater reduction in grafted bone height was revealed in the flat sinus group compared with the concave group (P <0.001). Results from the linear regression showed larger intruding angles were statistically significantly associated with a greater reduction in grafted bone height (r² = 0.55, P <0.001).

All bioglass and/or allograft placed in the maxillary sinus after the osteotome technique underwent remodeling and shrinkage; however, the outcome of the procedure was more predictable in sinuses with a concave floor and small implant-intruding angles.