Ultrastructural study by backscattered electron imaging and elemental microanalysis of biomaterial-to-bone interface and mineral degradation of bovine xenografts in maxillary sinus floor elevation.

Objectives The aim of this study was to perform an ultrastructural study of the bone-to-biomaterial interface and biomaterial mineral degradation in retrieved bone biopsies following maxillary sinus augmentation using bovine xenografts (Endobon®) in 15 clinical cases. Materials and methods Nine months after sinus lifting, bone cores were harvested from the maxillary sinus. The specimens were processed for observation under a scanning electron microscope with backscattered electron imaging (SEM-BSE). In addition, chemical analysis and elemental mapping of the mineral composition were generated using a microanalytical system based on energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Results No clin…