Introduction: The aim of this study was to use cone-beam computed tomographic imaging to investigate the relationship between the surgical access line (SAL) of maxillary posterior teeth and the maxillary sinus floor (MSF) in endodontic microsurgery.
Methods: Cone-beam computed tomographic scans of 190 subjects with clear and integrated maxillary posterior teeth and sinus floors on both sides were evaluated. The correlation of the average distance between the SAL and the MSF with age was analyzed. Three types of relationships between the SAL and MSF were classified. The minimum vertical distance between the SAL and the MSF for the type 1 relationship was measured.
Results: A total of 1134 teeth, including 758 premolars and 376 first molars, were evaluated. The average distance between the SAL of maxillary posterior teeth and the MSF increased with age, except in the 31- to 40-year-old group. The highest rates of the SAL touching the MSF and protruding into the maxillary sinus occurred among first molars at 25.6% and 8.1%, respectively. For the type 1 relationship, the mean distance from the SAL of the first and second premolars and the first molar to the MSF was 7.11 ± 4.40, 4.92 ± 3.69, and 4.76 ± 3.61 mm, respectively.
Conclusions: Knowledge of the relationship between the SAL and the MSF of maxillary posterior teeth could provide an important reference for surgeons to evaluate surgical difficulty and decrease the risk of maxillary sinus perforation.
Keywords: Cone-beam computed tomography; endodontic microsurgery; maxillary sinus floor; maxillary teeth; surgical access line.
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