RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence, diameter and topography of the intraosseous vascular canal of the maxillary sinus lateral wall. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of cone-beam computed tomography of 150 dental patients (294 maxillary sinuses) were analyzed. RESULTS: Intraosseus anastomosis of the branches of the posterior superior alveolar artery and infraorbital artery was detected in 87.8% of cases (258 of 294 sinuses). Anastomosis was found inside the wall of the sinus in every tooth location in 9.5% of sinuses; in other cases, the anastomosis was partially or fully embedded in the thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus in different tooth site. The mean diameter of the vascular anastomosis was 0.95±0.3 mm (range 0.3-2.18 mm). The average distance from the anastomosis to the sinus floor was 8.91±3.39 mm (range 1.68-21.83mm). In most cases, at locations of molars and premolars, the distance from the vascular anastomosis to the alveolar crest was greater than 15 mm (from 75.5% at the location of the first molar to 99.2% at the location of the first premolar). CONCLUSION: Detection of the topography of the vascular anastomosis by using cone-beam computed tomography is essential when planning the position of the antrostomy for the lateral sinus lift procedure in order to minimize iatrogenic complications.