The aims of the present study were to determine the thickness of the Schneiderian membrane and identify the width of the maxillary sinus, which is indicated by the buccal and lingual walls of the sinus angle between. Furthermore, to investigate the possibility of a correlation between the aforementioned structures and also other anatomical and demographic parameters using CBCTs for dental implant surgical planning.

The study included CBCT images of 76 consecutive patients with field-of-view 15 × 12 or 12 × 8cm. Reformatted cross-sectional CBCT slices were analyzed with regard to the thickness of the Schneiderian membrane designated by the medial and the lateral walls of the sinus, in three different standardized points of reference. Age, gender, and position of the measurement were evaluated as factors that could influence the dimensions of the anatomical structures, using univariate and multivariate random effects regression model.

The mean thickness of the Schneiderian membrane was 1.60 ± 1.20 mm. The average thickness revealed now differentiation by age (p = 0.878), whereas gender seemed to influence the mean thickness (p = 0.010). Also, the thickness of the Schneiderian membrane increased from medial to distal (p = 0.060). The mean value of the angle designated by buccal and lingual walls of the sinus was 73.41 ± 6.89 °. The angle measurements revealed no correlation with age, but a tendency towards lower mean angles in females (2.5 ° on average, p = 0.097). According to the anatomical position of the measurement, a differentiation was also detected. No correlation between thickness of the Schneiderian membrane and the angle of the walls of the sinus was concluded (p = 0.662).

This study demonstrated that the thickness of the Schneiderian membrane and the width of the maxillary sinus can only be affected by gender and anatomical position, but not by the age of the patient.