Role of prosthetics and osseointegration in lateral craniofacial reconstruction

Abstract

Lateral craniofacial ablative procedures can involve cosmetically devastating resection of the auricle. The resulting defect can either be covered, reconstructed with multistage reconstructive surgery, or be rehabilitated with a prosthesis. Of the many prosthetic retention strategies, anchoring the prosthetic to bone with an osseointegrated titanium implant has proven to be reliable. The procedure may be completed in one stage under local anesthesia and can be performed in previously radiated temporal bone with high implant success rates. The resulting cosmetic outcome is consistently rated highly by patients. Any patient undergoing resection of the auricle should be considered a candidate for an osseointegrated implant-borne prosthesis.