Clinical evaluation of demineralized bone allograft for sinus lifts in humans: a clinical and histologic study.

PURPOSE: Severe alveolar bony resorption in the edentulous posterior maxilla and pneumatization of the maxillary sinus wall make traditional implant placement impossible in the posterior maxilla. To reconstruct the severely resorbed maxilla for dental implant placement, 1 successful technique is to elevate the maxillary sinus floor using demineralized bone matrix (DBM) grafts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a histologic and histomorphometric evaluation of DBM grafts in the human maxilla.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine months after grafting, at the time of dental implantation, biopsy samples were taken from the grafted areas of 8 patients and were analyzed histologically.

RESULTS: All the sinus lifts were successful in the clinical study conducted after implantation. Resorption of the graft materials and new bone formation were observed, and there was direct deposition of bone on the surface of the graft particles.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that limited maxillary sinus lift with DBM graft material is a clinically reliable preimplant procedure.