Bone augmentation of maxillary sinus floor elevation with hydroxyapatite/ poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) composites

Maxillary sinus floor elevation (MSFE) represents the predominant surgical approach in dental implant prosthodontic treatment when bone loss is present. Conventional deproteinized bovine bone grafts, despite their common usage, exhibit limitations in meeting the dual requirements of enhanced primary implant stability and robust osteogenic outcomes, primarily due to the limitations associated with their granular morphology. Here, we introduce a novel biocompatible hydroxyapatite/poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (HAP/PLCL) composite as a bulky bone augmentation material for MSFE. This material possesses characteristics with high mechanical properties (Young's modulus = ∼1.15 GPa; hardness = ∼0.06 GPa), superior viscoelastic properties (tanδ = 0.130) and considerable osteoconductive potential (bone-to-implant contact improved by 1.6-fold compared with Bio-Oss). The HAP/PLCL bone augmentation composite not only enhances the removal torque for more than 2 times of the primary stability during implantation but also promotes superior osteoimmunological responses, ultimately leading to the early and long-term success of dental implants. The employment of the HAP/PLCL composite is anticipated to improve simultaneous implantation with MSFE, contributing to faster healing and prolonged lifespan of dental implants.