Treatment of maxillary edentulism with weldable wing spindles and allogenic bone for sinus lift: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND

The technique described in this study has been used by our group for approx. 20 years. It involves fabricating a provisional or definitive prosthesis over a metal structure made of several wing abutments that can be intraorally welded to connect the adjacent implants.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate the effectiveness of and the complications associated with the use of intraorally welded wing abutments in patients with edentulous maxilla undergoing sinus floor augmentation with frozen homologous bone.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Data from adult patients diagnosed with edentulism in the posterior maxilla were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent sinus augmentation with homologous bone and were rehabilitated for 5-6 months after surgery, using wing spindles. The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the prosthetic success, while the secondary outcomes included the assessment of the implant success and the incidence of complications.

RESULTS

Data analysis included 35 patients, corresponding to 220 implants. At the last follow-up, a 100% prosthetic success and a 96.36% implant survival rate were obtained. A total of 8 patients (22.86%, corresponding to 8.64% of total implants) experienced complications, such as radiographic radiolucency, peri-implantitis and implant mobility.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this retrospective study suggest that patients with edentulous maxilla undergoing sinus floor augmentation with frozen homologous bone might benefit from the use of intraorally welded wing abutments.