Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the sinus lift procedure in conjunction with autogenous bone harvested from the mandible.
Materials and Methods: The study group comprised 10 patients who underwent a total of 11 sinus lift procedures. The donor sites in the mandible included the symphysis, ramus or retro-molar region. Each implant site was radiographically evaluated preoperatively; at superstructure placement 6 to 10 months later; and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years after loading. Panoramic radiography and cross-sectional imaging were performed as needed. Preoperative bone height was measured to determine the distance between the primitive sinus floor and the crest of the alveolar ridge. Postoperative bone height was measured to determine the distance between the sinus floor after the sinus lift procedure and the crest of the alveolar ridge and the apical end of the implant body in the area. We analyzed the difference of measurement using two way ANOVA with IBM SPSS, and analyzed the difference of the average value with multiple comparisons (Tukey). The change in bone density was also observed on the radiograph.
Results: The average distance between the primitive sinus floor and the crest of the alveolar ridge in the plan of the implant placement area was 3.5±1.4 mm. The mean distance between the sinus floor after the sinus lift procedure and the crest of the alveolar ridge was 12.4±1.6 mm at the time of superstructure placement and 11.8±1.9 mm and 11.3±1.9 mm after 1 and 10 years of loading, respectively. The distance between the sinus floor after the sinus lift procedure and the apical end of the implant body was 1.6±1.2 mm at the time of superstructure placement and 1.4±1.5 mm and 1.0±1.8 mm after 1 and 10 years of loading, respectively. A statistical significance was detected between at the time of superstructure placement and after 10 years. Regarding the change in bone density, in 5 of the 11 sinuses, the grafted bone was highly radiopaque compared to the native bone at the time of superstructure placement, but it showed the same density as that of the native bone about 2 years after loading.
Conclusion: The height of the grafted bone decreased gradually, and its rate was very low. The change in density of the grafted bone was approximately stable between 1.5 to 2.5 years. This appearance was maintained during the observation.
