BACKGROUND Tooth loss impairs the OHRQoL. Dental implants have expanded treatment options of edentulous patients and improved their OHRQoL, however, in the posterior maxillary sextants the possibility to place implants of desired length and diameter could be limited. lSFE and tSFE represent two surgical options to vertically enhance the available bone in the edentulous posterior maxilla. Invasivity, relevant postoperative discomfort, high costs, and long times needed for the finalization of the prosthetic rehabilitation, however, strongly limit the indications of lSFE and support the need for less traumatic procedures with similar clinical effectiveness and reduced morbidity. In 2008, the investigators proposed a user-friendly, safe, predictable and effective minimally-invasive procedure for tSFE, namely the Smart Lift technique. AIMS/OBJECTIVES The general aim of the present project is to validate the Smart Lift technique as a simplified and minimally-invasive procedure for the implant-supported rehabilitation of patients with edentulous, atrophic maxillary posterior sextants. METHODS In a multicenter RCT study design, the reconstructive (clinical) and patient-centered outcomes of tSFE performed according to the Smart Lift technique will be compared with those of conventional lSFE. EXPECTED RESULTS The Smart Lift technique should allow for a significant reduction of treatment time, post-surgery complications and costs and an increase in the satisfaction perceived by the edentulous patient with implant-supported rehabilitation, while maintaining a clinical efficacy as well as a similar or lower morbidity and discomfort when compared to lSFE. In other words, the investigators expect that more favorable risk-benefit and cost-utility ratio, as well as a better performance in terms of pain, comfort, physical, social and psychological effects of oral health, and issues concerning the OHRQoL, will be observed for the Smart Lift technique compared to lSFE. List of Acronyms (in alphabetical order) OHRQoL: Oral Health - Related Quality of Life lSFE: sinus floor elevation with a lateral approach RCT: randomized controlled trial tSFE: sinus floor elevation with transcrestal approach
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
57
University-Hospital
Ferrara, Italy
University-Hospital
Modena, Italy
Vertical extent of sinus lift
At each observation interval, the vertical extent of sinus lift will be measured as the distance (in mm) between the sinus floor and the most apical portion of the radiopaque area in the mid CT/CBCT section including the implant.
Time frame: week +48
Implant survival
At each observation interval, implant survival will be recorded as the persistence of the implant in the oral cavity with absence of mobility (defined as the absence of vertical, lateral and rotational movements of the implant). When evaluating multiple implants splinted by prosthetic restorations, all implants supporting the prosthesis will be considered as failed or survived if the prosthesis is mobile or not mobile, respectively.
Time frame: week +48
Type and incidence of surgical and post-surgical complications
The incidence of membrane perforation will be evaluated by the Valsalva maneuver (for tSFE) or visually (for lSFE). Other surgical or post-surgical complications associated with the sinus lift procedure, including Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), post-operative infection, post-operative haemorrhage, nasal bleeding, blocked nose, either assessed by the operator or reported by the patient, will be also recorded.
Time frame: week +48
Level of post-operative pain
The level of pain perceived by the patient (VASpain) will be recorded daily (evening) for 14 days following surgery on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) (ranging from "0 - no pain" to "100 - intolerable pain").
Time frame: week +2
type and dosage of post-surgery medications
The patient will self-report the dosage of rescue anti-inflammatory drug (i.e. number of ibuprofen 600 mg tablets) assumed from the 1st to the 14th postoperative day, as well as the assumption of other types of drugs (e.g. antibiotics).
Time frame: week +2
Costs arised from the realization of the surgical procedure and during the postoperative period
Costs arised (i) from the realization of the surgical procedure (e.g., pre-operative exams, materials), and (ii) during the postoperative period (e.g., patient post-surgical monitoring, management of post-surgical complications, and limitations in daily activities caused by surgery) will be evaluated for each patient. Rather than with monetary units, costs will be compared between treatment groups using tSFE/lSFE ratios.
Time frame: week +48
radiographic height of the graft over the implant apex
The height of the graft apical to the implant apex will be measured as the distance (in mm) occupied by a radiopaque area between the implant apex and the sinus floor as assessed at the mid portion of the implant on the mid CT/CBCT section including the implant.
Time frame: week +48
General health-related quality of life as assessed by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire
A validated, self-administered questionnaire will be used to assess the general health - related quality of life (GHrQoL) immediately before surgery and at week +48. To assess GHrQoL, the Short Form health survey (SF-36) questionnaire (Ware \& Sherbourne 1992) will be used.
Time frame: day 0, week +48
Oral health-related quality of life as assessed by the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-20) questionnaire
A validated, self-administered questionnaire will be used to assess the oral health - related quality of life (OHrQoL) immediately before surgery and at week +48. To assess OHrQoL, the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-20 questionnaire (Allen \& Locker 2002, Awad et al. 2003) will be used.
Time frame: day 0, week +48
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