Objective: The goal of this clinical study was to evaluate dental implant survival rates using the concept of a nonfunctional, immediate loading protocol with nonsplinted dental implants in the grafted maxillary sinus during a 52-week period. Random histomorphological and histomorphometric analysis was completed to evaluate the early healing effect of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and 50% autogenous bone combined with 3 different substitute graft materials.
Materials: Four to 8 months after grafting the sinus with PRP sprayed autogenous bone combined with 3 different substitute graft materials in a 50:50 composite ratio, 27 hydroxyapatite- coated dental implants were surgically placed in 41 patients and immediately loaded between 48 hours and 5 days later with custom titanium abutments and acrylic provisional restorations placed out of functional occlusion. Six months later, definitive ceramometal restorations were cemented on to the custom abutments.
Results: During a 52-week observation period, no implants were lost. Between 4 and 8 months of graft healing time, histologic and histomorphometric analysis revealed formation of new vital bone in different graft specimens ranging from 77% to 100%.
Conclusion: The preliminary results of this clinical study indicate that immediate nonfunctional loading using PRP and 50% autogenous bone combined with different substitute graft materials is a predictable protocol in the grafted maxillary sinus as early as 4 months of postgrafting. The high implant survival rate is due to the early formation of large percentages of new vital bone as confirmed by using histologic and histomorphometric analysis.