Assessment of the value of anorganic bone additives in sinus floor augmentation: a review of clinical reports

In order to objectively assess the value of anorganic bone additives in sinus floor augmentation, a review of the English literature till May 2002 was carried out. The studies or parts of studies had to include at the least two patients, with a follow-up of at least 3 months, whilst histomorphometric data ought to be available of biopsies taken from the core of the graft. Only 12 studies fulfilled these criteria. Firm conclusions could not be drawn because there were substantial differences in histomorphometric techniques, healing periods and ratio autogenous bone anorganic additives, but it seemed that autogenous bone without anorganic additives resulted in the highest amount of bone after a 4-6 months healing period, while hydroxyapatite and bovine bone mineral, used as a bone substitute, gave the lowest amount of bone. No correlation between bone volume and time of graft healing could be found. The consequences, however, for implant placement and survival are at present, not fully understood. A plea is made for systematic prospective clinical and experimental studies to assess the various bone additives and ratios of autogenous bone to bone additives in composite grafts analysed with an adequate histomorphometric technique. Part of this study was presented at the 15th ICOMS, Durban, South Africa, 19-24 May 2001.