EVALUATION OF BONE HEIGHT GAIN FOLLOWING TRANS-CRESTAL SINUS FLOOR ELEVATION USING DENSAH BUR VERSUS THE CONVENTIONAL OSTEOTOME TECHNIQUE IN PATIENTS WITH ATROPHIC POSTERIOR MAXILLAE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Background: Transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) is a reliable procedure for increasing bone height in the posterior maxilla. However, limited evidence exists comparing outcomes of TSFE using osseodensification (OD) versus the conventional osteotome technique. This study aimed to compare bone height gain, implant stability, sinus membrane elevation, membrane perforation, and patient-reported outcomes between both methods.
Subjects and methods: Twenty-four patients with with one or more missing teeth in the maxillary posterior region and residual bone height of 5–8 mm were randomly assigned to two groups: TSFE with Densah burs (test group) and TSFE with osteotomes (control group). Clinical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes were assessed over a 6-month follow-up.
Results: After 6 months, no significant differences were found between the two groups in sinus membrane elevation (P = 0.5267) or implant stability (P = 0.5573). Although bone height increased in both groups, the difference between them was not statistically significant (P = 0.1713). The Densah group showed a 50% lower risk of sinus membrane
perforation compared to the Osteotome group, but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.5483). Patient-reported outcomes were similar between groups at both 1 and 2 weeks (P > 0.05), while intragroup analysis showed a significant improvement in oral health impact profile in both groups (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: The osseodensification technique provides a viable alternative to the osteotome method for crestal sinus floor elevation, with comparable clinical and radiographic outcomes and the potential to reduce surgical trauma and postoperative discomfort. Trial registration number is NCT05411510.