Efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin in maxillary sinus augmentation and simultaneous implant placement in deficient maxillary ridges: A pilot comparative study.

Rehabilitation with dental implants has become the most widely accepted treatment protocol for rehabilitation of lost natural teeth. Direct sinus lift is one of the most predictable procedures for augmenting the deficient posterior maxillary ridges. The study was designed in patients with insufficient bone for implants in the maxillary posterior ridges. The test group received platelet-rich fibrin alone as filler, and the control group received a bone allograft. The residual bone height (RBH), implant mobility, and soft tissue characteristics between and within the groups were compared and analyzed. Both the groups had considerable gain in RBH, and the intragroup analysis revealed clinical gain in bone height in both the groups, with the test group exhibiting statistically significant gain which kept on improving from 6 months with z= -3.477 and a p value of 0.001 to 9 months with z=-3.531 and a p value of 0.027. The results suggest that the use of platelet-rich fibrin alone improves the bone regeneration, thereby achieving predictable and stable augmentation of the sinus floor required for the success of implant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]