It is concluded that (1) the device used in this study did not trigger any important inflammatory reaction; (2) when the sinus membrane was elevated, bone formation was a constant finding; and (3) an ideal space-making device should be stable and elevate the membrane to ensure a maintained connection between the membrane and the secluded space.

Objective: To analyse the number of septa in the maxillary sinuses using computed tomography (CT) in correlation with gender, age and the presence of teeth in the region. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 300 CT scans obtained from a private radiology clinic between 2009 and 2011. The CT scans included in the study should have the appropriate image of the maxillary sinus and contain information regarding age, gender and the date of the examinations. Patients with a history of pathologies in the region, patients who underwent floor of mouth surgery and patients less than 20 years of age were excluded from the sample. The authors considered osseous septa to be septa with a height above 4 mm in relation to the base of the sinus floor. The sample was divided into three groups: (i) presence of all teeth, (ii) partially edentulous -a minimum of two teeth present between the second premolar and second molar -and (iii) totally edentulous. The data were divided and stratified by age and gender. Results: The frequency of septa in the maxillary sinus was 37.80% (n = 183). No significant difference was observed among the five age groups (P > 0.05); additionally, there was no significant difference in septa frequency (P > 0.05) -analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's. Univariate and multivariate ANOVA showed a significant interaction between tooth loss and age (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Statistical analyses demonstrated no difference in the number of septa in relation to age, gender or the number of teeth in the posterior maxilla. Clinical relevanceAfter tooth loss, the posterior maxillary alveolar bone suffers intense resorption and pneumatization of the maxillary sinus. These events reduce the available volume of the bone conventional dental implants fixation. Several surgical techniques are used in accessing the sinus floor to increase the membrane and attach the implant. The presence of bony septa increases the risk of surgical complications and requires surgical experience from the professional. This article evaluated the frequency of septa in 300 computed tomography scans, correlating gender, age and presence or not of teeth. It was concluded that the frequency of the septa is high and no correlation was found.