Abstract
A 48-year-old woman with a severely atrophied maxilla was treated with open sinus augmentation surgery along with Le Fort I osteotomy with a pedicled buccal fat pad graft to position the maxilla in a right occlusal plane with respect to the mandible and to construct adequate bone volume allowing proper implant placement. Six dental implants were inserted in the maxilla, and a fixed metal-resin screw-retained prosthesis was fabricated for the maxilla and mandible.
When occlusal alterations are not accompanied by paranasal deficiencies, mobilization of the maxilla via Le Fort I osteotomy should be made with a different design. In this preliminary report, a W-shaped osteotomy that doesn’t change the position of the maxillary bone surrounding the pyriform aperture was presented for the first time. Advantages and indications of this new procedure are discussed.