Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 outcomes for maxillary sinus floor augmentation: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Aims To study the effect of the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) on sinus volumetric and histometric changes after sinus floor augmentation compared to a conventional approach of non-biologic bone grafting materials. Materials and methods An electronic search of 4 databases (January 1990–February 2015), including PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Central, and a hand search of peer-reviewed journals for relevant articles were performed. Human clinical trials with data on comparison of sinus volumetric and/or histometric outcomes with and without the use of rhBMP-2 in sinus grafting procedures, with ≥10 augmentation sites in each study group, and with a follow-up period of at least 6 months, were included. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to analyze weighted mean difference (WMD) and confidence interval (CI) for the recorded variables according to PRISMA guidelines. Results Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The results of the meta-analyses showed that the WMD of vertical bone height gain was −0.14 mm (95% CI = −1.91 to 1.62 mm, P = 0.87), the WMD of bone density was −142.42 mg/cm3 (95% CI = −310.62–25.78 mg/cm3, P = 0.10), the WMD of the percentage of vital bone was −4.59% (95% CI = −11.73–2.56%, P = 0.21), and the WMD of the percentage of residual bone grafting materials was −9.90% (95% CI = −26.38–6.58%, P = 0.21). The comparison of implant survival rate presented an overall risk ratio of 1.00 (95% CI = 0.94–1.07). The two approaches (conventional bone grafting compared to BMPs) demonstrated comparable effectiveness for both clinical and histomorphometric measures. Conclusions This systematic review revealed that the use of rhBMP-2 in maxillary sinus floor augmentation achieved similar clinical and histometric outcomes when compared to conventional sinus grafting procedures after a healing period of 6–9 months. However, previous studies showed the morbidity and other patient-reported outcomes were improved in rhBMP-2 approaches as compared to bone autograft procedures (both intraoral and extraoral bone harvesting because no donor site is required). Long-term studies are required to determine the cost-benefit of sinus floor augmentation procedures for patients requiring implant reconstruction.