Introduction of Accurate Measurement of the Alveolar Bone Height in Bone Grafting Area after Sinus Lift

Background: Sinus lift via the alveolar crest approach has been proven to solve inadequate alveolar bone height perfectly in the posterior region of the maxilla. Nevertheless, the surgical area cannot be directly observed, imaging methods are necessary to reveal whether the surgery has achieved the expected results. Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images are usually taken before surgery and at the completion of final pre-repair osseointegration and evaluate the effect of maxillary sinus lift by measuring the alveolar bone height in the bone graft area. However, there is no uniform and recognized method to accurately measure the alveolar bone height in the bone grafting area before and after maxillary sinus lift. Therefore, the authors propose a simple, accurate, and reproducible method for the measurement of alveolar bone height in maxillary sinus lift on CBCT, which will be an innovation. Methods: 30 implant cases (30 patients) were included in this study. The authors create a uniformed measurement surface in the CBCT axial interface to ensure consistency at the completion of final prerepair osseointegration and before surgery. Then changes in alveolar bone height in the bone grafting area before and after sinus lift were measured on CBCT coronal and arch planes. Finally, for the purpose of verification of repeatability, three dentists from our department were randomly selected to measure and record the above CBCT data at three different time points. Results: The data showed that in the CBCT measurements of the three dentists, neither the coronal plane nor the arch plane was statistically significant. (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This measurement method is simple, accurate and repeatable. It can be applied to measure alveolar bone height in the bone grafting area before and after maxillary sinus lift.