[Maxillary sinus septa. Prevalence and anatomy].

Background: Maxillary sinus septa may complicate sinus elevation procedures, especially when they are not diagnosed prior to surgery. The authors had for aim to review published data, to analyze the etiology, the prevalence, the localization, and the size of maxillary sinus septa, and to determine what were the best preoperative radiological examinations.

Patients And Methods: The Medline search was made with keywords such as "maxillary sinus anatomy, maxillary sinus augmentation, maxillary sinus septa, sinus graft/complications, dental implants". The search was limited to studies published in English from 1980 to January 2009.

Results: Twenty-two articles were analyzed. The prevalence of maxillary sinus septa ranged between 14.3% and 33.3%. There was no specific geographic distribution within the sinuses. The mean heights of septa ranged between 2.8 and 8.1 mm.

Discussion: It is recommended to systematically use preoperative CT or CBCT scan imaging because of the prevalence, the variable anatomy, and the bad contribution of conventional X-rays.