by Stephen S. Wallace and Stuart J. Froum
Grafting of the posterior maxillary region has become one of the most common of all surgical procedures associated with the placement of implants in the posterior maxillary region. This article attempts to address the some of the variables associated with the success of this procedure as well as summarize its overall efficacy.
The survival rate of implants placed in sinuses augmented with the lateral window technique varied between 61.7% and 100% in this collection of studies with an average of 91.8%. The implant survival rates compared favorably to reported survival rates for implants placed in the non-grafted posterior maxilla. Rough surfaced implants have a higher survival rate than machine surfaced implants. Implant survival rate was higher when a membrane was placed over the lateral window.
This article poses a good overall summary of the current state of affairs as it relates to subantral augmentation for posterior implant reconstruction.