Indirect Sinus Lift for Osseointegrated Implants -- An 8-year Prospective Study

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Indirect Sinus Lift for Osseointegrated Implants -- An 8-year Prospective Study
27 June 2003
Human Implant Studies
E.M.T. AGAMY, and W. NIEDERMEIER
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the indirect/closed maxillary sinus lift technique for the insertion of osseointegrated implants clinically. Methods: 78 implants were inserted in 35 patients (21 females, 14males) with a mean age of 62¨±9 years. The patients showed no diseases affecting osseointegration. All the implants were inserted in the posterior maxillary region, 48 were inserted using the indirect/closed sinus lift method without any augmentation material, and the other 30 implants were a matched control. The average length of the implants used was 12.0¨±1.7 mm whereas controls were12.39¨±1.60 mm. Following prostheses were employed: 2 telescopic prostheses (3 implants); 11 tooth-implant supported fixed bridges (11 implants); 16 single crowns; and 21 implant supported fixed bridges (47 implants). The bone level around the implants was measured using calibrated orthopantomograms at time distances of at least 12 months following the loading of the implants. Results: One control fixture failed after uncovering; 77 implants were loaded, 5 of them failed (2 controls and 3 of the sinus lift group) between 3 and 59 months following loading. 98 months after loading, the censored survival rate (KAPLAN-MEIER) was 87.7 % for sinus lift implants, and 88.3 % for controls. None of the remaining implants showed any signs of mobility or periimplant disease, and none of the patients exhibited sinus problems during the entire observation period. The mean bone level before sinus lift was 9.93¨±2.50 mm (minimum 5,6 mm), and for controls was 15.62¨±3,44 mm. The loss of attachment around the implants was not significant either before loading or after loading for both sinus lift and control implants. Conclusion: The indirect/closed sinus lift method is an effective and less complicated method for the placement of osseointegrated implants in moderately atrophied ridges of the posterior maxilla.