Background: The purpose of this study was to compare clinical results of two different horizontal ridge augmentation techniques: guided bone regeneration with sticky bone (SB) and the bone-shell technique (BS). Methods: Records of patients who underwent horizontal ridge augmentation with SB (test) and BS (control) were screened for inclusion. Pre-operative and 6-month post-operative ridge widths were measured on cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) and compared. Post-operative complications and implant survival rate were recorded. Results: Eighty consecutive patients were included in the present study. Post-operative complications (flap dehiscence, and graft infection) occurred in ten patients, who dropped out from the study (12.5% complication rate). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between the occurrence of post-operative complications and ridge width (p = 0.025). Seventy patients (35 test; 35 control) with a total of 127 implants were included in the final analysis. Mean ridge width gain was 3.7 ± 1.2 mm in the test and 3.7 ± 1.1 mm in the control group, with no significant difference between the two groups. No implant failure was recorded, with a mean follow-up of 42.7 ± 16.0 months after functional loading. Conclusions: SB and BS showed comparable clinical outcomes in horizontal ridge augmentation, resulting in sufficient crestal width increase to allow implant placement in an adequate bone envelope.

Background: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze two different sealing techniques for sinus membrane perforations produced during sinus floor augmentation by a lateral approach. Methods: A total of 172 lateral-approach sinus floor augmentation surgeries were performed on 130 patients. Sixty-one membrane perforations (35%) were reported. Most of the perforations were caused by accidental membrane tearing and 16 (26%) were caused by deliberate incision for mucocele removal. In 31 perforation cases (51%), the Schneiderian membrane was sealed by suturing, while the remaining 30 cases (49%) were sealed using a low-resorption collagen membrane coverage. Results: Out of the 31 cases treated with a suture-sealing techniques, 26 (84%) were successful, presenting graft integration. Failure occurred in the other five (16%) cases. Out of the 30 perforations sealed with low-resorption collagen membranes, 28 (93%) presented successful graft integration, while two (7%) failed. Conclusions: Both surgical techniques yielded therapeutic success.

Background: The purpose of the study was to analyze the efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) as a single augmentation material for complicated cases of maxillary sinus floor elevation, resulting from membrane perforation or previous infections. Methods: Implant insertion in the posterior region of the maxilla was simultaneously performed with maxillary sinus floor augmentation. Schneiderian membrane elevation can be accompanied by extremely serious sinus membrane perforation, due to accidental tearing or intended incision for mucocele removal. PRFs were placed in the sinus cavity both for membrane sealing and sinus floor grafting. Radiological, histological and micro-CT analyses were performed. Implant survival was assessed every 6 months for 1 to 4 years, with a mean follow up of 1.8 years, after prosthetic loading. Radiological examinations were performed on CBCT at 9 and 12 and 36 months postoperatively and revealed improved degrees of radiopacity. Results: 19 implants were simultaneously placed in the course of nine maxillary sinus floor augmentation surgeries, with successful outcomes in terms of bone grafting and implant integration. New bone formation was evidenced 12 months postoperatively on radiological examination, micro-CT analysis, and histological analysis of a harvested bone segment from the augmented maxillary sinus. The mean gain in bone height of the sinus floor augmentation was 6.43 mm, with a maximum of 9 mm. The mean amount of vital bone obtained from histologic assessment was 52.30%, while bone volume/tissue volume ratio in micro-CT 3D had a mean of 50.32%. Conclusions: PRF may be considered as an alternative treatment for a single surgery of sinus augmentation with simultaneous implant placement, even in complicated cases with significant sinus membrane tearing.

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze if there is any statistical correlation between the surgery’s complexity (easy to difficult—depending on the anatomical conditions) and the patient’s sex, type of edentulism, and left or right side of the maxilla. Methods: Cone beam computed tomography records of 1192 maxillary sinuses were evaluated, measured, and statistically analyzed with respect to patient sex, type of edentulism, and left or right side, taking into consideration Wen’s proposed sinus septum classification. Results: Our research suggests that most sinus augmentation procedures in patients presenting antral septum fall into the Moderate A category (31.94%) and that there is not a correlation between the surgery’s complexity (easy to difficult) and the patient’s sex, type of edentulism and left or right side of the maxilla. Conclusion: We suggest a minor modification to Wen’s classification in view of the fact that our findings revealed a combination of medio-lateral and antero-posterior septa that we could not classify in one of the existing categories.

Nowadays, implant dentistry is strongly interconnected to bone augmentation procedures. Lateral ridge augmentation is often an imperative treatment stage for successful, prosthetic-driven implant placement. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the immediate postoperative complications of two horizontal bone grafting procedures: sticky bone and bone shell technique. Records of patients with lateral ridge augmentation were analyzed to identify immediate postoperative complications. The study group included 80 patients divided into 40 control (bone-shell technique – BS) and 40 tests (sticky bone –SB). More patients reported moderate and severe pain in the BS – group (11 patients – 27.5%) than in the SB group (6 patients – 15%). In the BS group, the incidence of severe and moderate trismus, neurosensory disturbances, and important hematoma was higher. There was an increased inflammatory response following the bone shell technique, while the sticky bone technique proved reduced surgical morbidity. There was no difference between the two groups in the risk of dehiscence or infection.