Maxillary sinus augmentation with the xenograft Bio-Oss and autogenous intraoral bone for qualitative improvement of the implant site: a histologic and histomorphometric clinical study in humans

The aim of the present clinical study was to determine, through histologic and histomorphometric investigations of human bone specimens, whether the addition of autogenous bone to the bone substitute material Bio-Oss can produce a high-quality implant site. To improve vertical bone height, 13 sinus floor elevations were carried out in a total of 12 patients. Augmentation of the maxillary sinus floor was completed using a mixture of Bio-Oss and bone harvested intraorally from the mandibular symphysis, the retromolar space, or the tuberosity region. Following an average of 7.1 months of healing, 36 Br?nemark System implants were placed. During this surgical intervention, 23 cylinder-shaped bone biopsies were taken from the augmented maxillary region using trephine burs. Histologic analysis of the bone biopsies revealed that the Bio-Oss granulate was well-integrated into the newly formed bone; 33.1% (+/- 12.4%) of the substitute material surface was in direct contact with bone. Histomorphometric analysis of the samples revealed an average percentage proportion of bone of 18.9% (+/- 6.4%). The bovine substitute material and soft tissue occupied, respectively, 29.6% (+/- 8.9%) and 51.5% (+/- 9.4%) of the measured surface. When the implants were uncovered after an average healing phase of 6 months, all 36 implants had become osseointegrated. The combination of osteoconductive Bio-Oss and osteoinductive autogenous bone thus proved to be a material suitable for application in sinus floor augmentation.