title: Maxillary sinus vascular anatomy and its relation to sinus lift surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence, location, size and course of the anastomosis between the dental branch of the posterior superior alveolar artery (PSAA), known as alveolar antral artery (AAA), and the infraorbital artery (IOA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The first part of the study was performed on 30 maxillary sinuses deriving from 15 human cadaver heads. In order to visualize such anastomosis, the vascular network afferent to the sinus was injected with liquid latex mixed with green India ink through the external carotid artery. The second part of the study consisted of 100 CT scans from patients scheduled for sinus lift surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An anastomosis between the AAA and the IOA was found by dissection in the context of the sinus anterolateral wall in 100% of cases, while a well-defined bony canal was detected radiographically in 94 out of 200 sinuses (47% of cases). The mean vertical distance from the lowest point of this bony canal to the alveolar crest was 11.25 ± 2.99 mm (SD) in maxillae examined by CT. The canal diameter was <1 mm in 55.3% of cases, 1-2 mm in 40.4% of cases and 2-3 mm in 4.3% of cases. In 100% of cases, the AAA was found to be partially intra-osseous, that is between the Schneiderian membrane and the lateral bony wall of the sinus, in the area selected for sinus antrostomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A sound knowledge of the maxillary sinus vascular anatomy and its careful analysis by CT scan is essential to prevent complications during surgical interventions involving this region.
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Department of Health Technologies, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Cranial Cervicofacial Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University René Descartes - Paris 5, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosano
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Department of Health Technologies, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Cranial Cervicofacial Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University René Descartes - Paris 5, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taschieri
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Department of Health Technologies, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Cranial Cervicofacial Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University René Descartes - Paris 5, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gaudy
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Department of Health Technologies, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Cranial Cervicofacial Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University René Descartes - Paris 5, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Department of Health Technologies, Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Cranial Cervicofacial Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University René Descartes - Paris 5, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Fabbro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed