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Long-term crestal bone changes in implants placed in augmented sinuses with minimal or moderate remaining alveolar
Istvan A Urban1,2,3,4, Andrea Ravidà2, Muhammad H A Saleh2,5
1Graduate Implant Dentistry, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
Objectives:
To evaluate long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of dental implants placed after lateral window sinus augmentation utilizing the sagittal sandwich technique.
Materials And Methods:
Patients treated with sinus augmentation were included in this retrospective case-series study. The surgical procedure was performed with particulate autogenous bone- and anorganic bovine bone-derived mineral (3:7 ratio). Implants were grouped based on baseline residual alveolar ridge height: group S (residual alveolar ridge height of 0.1-3.5 mm), group M (height of 3.5-7mm), and group C (native bone). Radiographs were taken at baseline (abutment installation) and annually throughout the 10-year follow-up.
Results:
A total of 86 patients (92 sinus lifts) and 209 implants were included. Ten sinus membrane perforations were recorded (11% incidence), and graft infections occurred in 3 cases (3.2% incidence). During the 10-year follow-up, 3 implants (1.4%) failed. No significant differences in the mean implant marginal bone loss (MBL) between the three groups were found after 1-, 2-, and 5-year follow-up (p > .05). At 10 years, group C exhibited more MBL than group M with a mean difference of -0.53 mm (p = .01). After 10 years, MK III implants displayed significantly more bone loss in native bone than those in augmented bone with a mean difference of 0.48 mm (p = .02). Five patients and 7 implants developed peri-implantitis with no significant differences between the groups (p = .570).
Conclusion:
Implant placement after two-stage sinus grafting utilizing the sagittal sandwich technique is a relatively safe and predictable procedure with minimal complications and MBL after 10-year follow-up.
