Schneiderian membrane thickness: Cone Beam Computed Tomography analysis pre and post-sinus floor elevation procedures

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the thickness of the maxillary sinus mucosa before and after performing the elevation of the maxillary sinus floor in partially and very edentulous patients in the posterior sector using cone beam computed tomography images. Methods: Pre and postsurgical tomographic images of 31 cases were included; 24 of which were a unilateral maxillary sinus floor elevation procedure, while 7 cases involved both pneumatic cavities. Measurements were taken at the sagittal and coronal planes. All of them, perpendicular to the sinus mucosa. A retrospective analysis of cone beam computed tomography was performed and the groups were compared with the Wilcoxon test for related samples and the variables graft size, preoperative membrane thickness, age and gender with multivariate analysis. Setting the level of statistical significance p <0.05. Results: A great variability of the thickness of the sinus membrane was confirmed, both in the pre-operative and in the post-operative. It was observed that the mean values in millimeters obtained in the pre-op were 1.45 and 1.12 in the post-op. The medians showed that the membrane thickness values are more atypical and more extreme in the preoperative values (0.79) than in the postoperative values (0.94), which are more normal and uniform. Conclusion: Under the conditions analyzed, there was an absence of changes in the dimensions of the sinus mucosa in the pre and postoperative period of the tomographic images, highlighting evidence of great inter-individual variability.