CRESTAL VERSUS LATERAL SINUS LIFT: ONE-YEAR RESULTS FROM A WITHIN-PATIENT RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

PURPOSE. To compare the effectiveness of and patient preference for crestal versus lateral sinus lift. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Fifteen partially edentulous patients missing bilateral maxillary molars and/or premolars and having 2 to 6 mm of residual crestal height below the maxillary sinuses were randomised to receive one to three implants placed in sinuses crestally or laterally lifted with bone substitutes according to a split-mouth design. Implants were submerged and loaded after 6 months with definitive screw-retained me-tal-ceramic prostheses, and patients were followed-up to 1 year after loading. RESULTS. Twenty crestal implants were placed versus 23 lateral ones. One patient dropped out and one lateral implant failed (n = 14; difference = 0.07, 95% CI from-0.28 to 0.13; P = 0.99). No prosthesis failed. Three patients were affected by three complications at crestal versus three patients by four complications at lateral sites. The difference was not statistically significant (n = 14; Diff = 0.07; 95% CI-0.24 to 0.38; P-value = 0.99). Statistically significantly less time was required to place crestal implants (28.2 versus 62.2 minu-tes on average; Diff = 33.4; SD = 12.1; 95% CI-40.4 to 26.4; P = 0.001). Eight patients preferred the crestal procedure and six had no preference. Crestal implants lost 0.99 mm (SD = 0.55) of peri-implant bone height versus 1.02 mm (SD = 0.57) for lateral ones, the difference being not statistically significant (0.03 mm; 95% CI of difference-0.52 to 0.59; P = 0.89) CONCLUSIONS. Both techniques produced successful outcomes, but the crestal technique required less surgical time and was preferred by patients.