title: Short implants as an alternative to crestal sinus lift: A 1-year multicentre randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of short (5 or 6 mm-long) dental implants versus 10 mm or longer implants placed in crestally-lifted sinuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty partially edentulous patients having 5 to 7 mm of residual crestal height and at least 7 mm thickness below the maxillary sinuses as measured on computerised tomography scans were randomised according to a parallel group design to receive either one to two 5 or 6 mm-long implants (10 patients) or 10 mm-long implants (10 patients) after crestal sinus lifting and grafting with anorganic bovine bone (Endobon). Implants were left to heal submerged for 4 months and loaded with reinforced acrylic provisional prostheses, and then replaced after 4 months, by definitive provisionally cemented or screw-retained metal-ceramic or metal-resin prostheses. Outcome measures were prosthesis and implant failures, any complications, radiographic peri-implant marginal bone level changes and patient's satisfaction assessed by blinded assessors, when possible. All patients were followed up to 1 year after loading.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient dropped out, no failures or complications occurred. Short implants lost 0.70 ± 0.19 mm of peri-implant marginal bone and long implants lost 0.87 ± 0.21 mm of periimplant marginal bone 1 year after loading, the difference between the two groups showing no statistical significance (difference = -0.17 mm; 95% CI: -0.35 to 0.02; P = 0.078).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both techniques achieved excellent results and no differences were observed between prostheses supported by one to two implants, 5 to 6 mm-long or 10 mm-long in the posterior atrophic maxillae up to 1-year after loading, therefore it is up to the clinicians to decide which procedure to use, although longer follow-ups are needed to understand if one of these procedures could be more effective in the long-term.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Felice
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pistilli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barausse
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trullenque-Eriksson
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000209:etiology; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D059546:Sinus Floor Augmentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D015921:Dental Implants