Sinus Lift
A surgical procedure that augments bone volume in the posterior maxilla by elevating the Schneiderian membrane and placing graft material beneath it into the maxillary sinus floor.
Full Definition
The sinus lift (sinus floor elevation or maxillary sinus augmentation) is performed when insufficient bone height in the posterior maxilla precludes standard implant placement. Two main techniques are described: the lateral window approach (Caldwell–Luc modification), which allows direct visualisation and large-volume grafting, and the transcrestal approach (osteotome or Summers technique), performed through the implant osteotomy with more limited lift. Graft materials include autogenous bone, allografts, xenografts, and alloplastic substitutes. Editors should hyphenate 'sinus lift' only when it functions as a compound modifier (e.g., 'sinus-lift procedure'), and should note that 'sinus augmentation' and 'sinus elevation' are acceptable synonyms.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate only as a pre-nominal modifier: 'sinus-lift procedure'. As a standalone noun phrase, no hyphen: 'the sinus lift was performed'. 'Sinus augmentation' and 'sinus floor elevation' are acceptable synonyms in clinical writing.
In Context
- "A lateral window sinus lift was performed, achieving a final bone height of 14 mm at the implant site." — Oral and maxillofacial surgery operative note
- "The transcrestal sinus lift technique was selected given the residual bone height of 6 mm." — Implant planning report