Relationship between subsinus bone height and bone volume requirements for dental implants: a human radiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the vertical dimension of subsinus alveolar bone that is available for placement of endosseous implants.


METHODS
Subsinus alveolar bone height (SBH) was determined via radiographs and categorized into three groups: Group A corresponded to SBH < 5 mm; group B SBH of 5 to 9 mm; and group C, SBH > 9 mm. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon paired test with the threshold for statistical significance set at P < .05.


RESULTS
Five hundred eighty-three panoramic radiographs of edentulous maxillae were analyzed. In 96.9% of radiographs, the anterior border of the maxillary sinus was above the first premolar. Mean SBH values for canine, first premolar, second premolar, first molar, and second molar sites were 11.4 ± 6.2 mm, 10.6 ± 3.8 mm, 5.9 ± 2.5 mm, 3.3 ± 2.2 mm, and 4.5 ± 2.4 mm, respectively. Representations of groups A, B, and C in the canine region were 14.3%, 21.4%, and 64.3%, respectively; in the first premolar region they were 8.3%, 22.3%, and 69.4%, respectively; in the second premolar region, these were 31.6%, 60.9%, and 7.5%, respectively; in first molar region, the values were 73.1%, 25.4%, and 1.5%, respectively; and in the second molar region they were 54.2%, 41.7%, and 4.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The mean SBH is the highest in the area of the anterior border of the sinus; it declines significantly toward the posterior maxilla, reaches its minimum in the area of the first molar, and increases again significantly in the second molar region. From a clinical point of view, the lateral window technique of sinus elevation remains the dominant augmentative procedure in the molar area, whereas in the premolar area, less invasive alternative methods may be more appropriate.
Department of Dentistry, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Dana
D
Kopecka
Antonin
A
Simunek
Tomas
T
Brazda
Martin
M
Rota
Radovan
R
Slezak
Lukas
L
Capek
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015519:Bone Density; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D059546:Sinus Floor Augmentation / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D015921:Dental Implants