Sinus grafting related to implantology. Statistical analysis of 15 years of surgical experience (1979-1994).

Sinus cavities are often a major obstacle to the placement of dental implants in the posterior maxilla, especially when early tooth loss has occurred. Several grafting procedures aimed at reducing the expanded volume of these pneumatic cavities have been routinely utilized since 1979. Essentially, these techniques have consisted of recreating the necessary viable bone volume at the floor of sinus cavities by placing different bone substitute materials to allow for the insertion of endosseous implant devices. The progress achieved in the refinement of the surgical procedures and the knowledge acquired in the field of patient screening and selection, choice of biomaterials, management of complications, etc., have made sinus graft surgery highly codified and predictable. A comprehensive statistical study by multifactorial procedures was carried out to establish a Burt Contingency Chart. This chart visualizes the frequencies of all the "modality combinations" among the selected "qualitative parameters" and, by a " factorial analysis", the "multiple correlations", so that the "statistical affinities" that may exist among the same variables can be determined. This critical study endeavors to search for and reveal the favorable clinical, biologic and scientific parameters necessary for the success of sinus graft surgery on short-, medium-, and long-term bases (more than nine years). It is a particularly homogenous study, since all the operative procedures have been carried out exclusively by the author under standardized conditions. The wide variety of biomaterials utilized by the author since 1979 shows the development of bone substitute biomaterials as they have been introduced into the market during the past 15 years. The large number of patients treated, the variety of grafting materials, the important success rate obtained, and the long duration of patient follow-up have been instrumental in enabling us to establish scientifically significant results. Autogenous bone and its combinations with calcium- and phosphorus-containing biomaterials remain undoubtedly the best all-purpose biomaterials. The synthetic biomaterials have their own specific indications according to their stable (non-resorbable) or unstable (resorbable) nature and their rates of metabolic "turnover". Differently treated bones from the tissue bank (if not contaminated or immunologically questionable) behave in a fashion not unlike autogenous bone. Root-form implants are by far the best implants in the reconstructed sinus sites, while other implant types (subperiosteal implants, etc.) inserted beneath the reinforced osseous sinus floor, buccal wall, and pyramidal process, also have their indications.