Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of maxillary sinus augmentation (MSA) using deproteinized bovine bone material (DBBM) combined with or without platelet-rich fibrin obtained by horizontal centrifugation (H-PRF) after a short healing period of 4 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients underwent bilateral two-stage MSA using a split-mouth model. Each side was randomly assigned to receive DBBM alone (control group) or DBBM + H-PRF (test group). Bone tissue samples were harvested 4 months after implant placement and evaluated using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), as well as histological and histomorphometric analyses. Data were statistically analyzed using paired t-tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p < 0.05). RESULTS: Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated higher amounts (p < 0.05) of newly formed bone in the DBBM + H-PRF group compared to the control group (51.33% ± 6.17% versus 45.68% ± 6.65%, respectively). Micro-CT also revealed significantly higher bone volume (30.38% ± 11.24% and 21.38% ± 9.83%, respectively) and connectivity density (4485 ± 1469 and 2562 ± 1271, respectively) in the DBBM + H-PRF group than in the DBBM-alone group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with DBBM alone, maxillary sinuses augmented with H-PRF combined with DBBM exhibited improved qualitative and quantitative new bone formation after 4 months of healing. However, the effects on the long-term survival and early stability of dental implants remain unknown and warrant further investigation with long-term follow-up.