Bone maintenance 5 to 10 years after sinus grafting.

Purpose: This radiographic study determined the amount of bone around hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated dental implants that were placed into bone-grafted maxillary sinuses.

Patients And Methods: Postoperative complex motion tomograms using the Grossman technique were taken on 16 patients who had 27 maxillary sinus grafts performed using particulate autogenous iliac bone with and without demineralized bone, autogenous iliac corticocancellous block with and without demineralized bone, and autogenous jaw bone with demineralized bone. Bone levels were measured from the new floor of the grafted sinus to the apex of the implant and to the alveolar crest. The resulting bone level measures were compared with the type of graft used. All patients had been restored for 5 to 10 years after simultaneous graft and implant placement.

Results: For all patients summed together, the average amount of bone from the top of the graft to the apex of the implant was 3.3 +/- 3.1 mm, and the average amount of bone from the top of the graft to the alveolar crest was 17.6 +/- 3.1 mm. The average level of bone in the sinuses of patients grafted with autogenous iliac bone was greater than the average level of bone in those grafted with autogenous bone combined with demineralized bone.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that autogenous bone grafts are maintained in the maxillary sinus, but the results with autogenous bone alone are better than when demineralized bone is added. However, this difference may not be clinically significant.