Transcrestal sinus floor elevation: a retrospective study of 46 patients up to 16 years.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and radiographic data of transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) of residual alveolar bone ≤3 mm.

METHODS: Forty-six patients, edentulous in one or both maxillary posterior segments, were enrolled in this study. The residual alveolar ridge was measured. TSFE without bone grafting was performed. Three months after the first surgery procedure, 66 implants were placed without grafting material. A presurgical distance from the alveolar crest to the floor of the maxillary sinus and the amount of new radiopacity between the sinus floor and alveolar crest were measured from the mesial and distal surfaces of each dental implant surface.

RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 10.43 ± 5.01 years (ranged from 5 to 16 years), a survival rate of 95.45% was reported. Mean bone levels at implant placement were 7.12 ± 0.90 mm and, after 1 year, were 13.28 ± 1.23 mm. They were stable over time, reporting an up to 16 years' value of 13.07 ± 2.63 mm.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this retrospective clinical study confirmed the reliability of the TSFE procedure and the maintenance of bone levels without grafting procedures over time.