Auricular rehabilitation with bone-anchored titanium implants

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the bone-anchored titanium impl ants in auricular reconstructions. Study Design: Six patients who received implants for an auricular reconstruction were followed prospectively, Four patients had lost their ears to cancer, and the other two had congenital au ral atresia. Methods: All patients were thoroughly evaluated by the reconst ruction team, which included a surgeon, a prosthodontist, and a facial pros thetist. Three patients were evaluated audiologically for a bone-anchored h earing aid. Four patients received implants in a single-stage procedure, an d two underwent a two-stage procedure, A gold bar with retaining clips was used to anchor the prosthetic ear in four patients, and magnets were used i n the remaining two. Results: All six patients are completely satisfied wit h their reconstructions. No failures, extrusions, or bony complications wer e encountered. One patient had recurrent dermatitis, which subsided when hi s gold bar was replaced with magnets. Conclusion: Implanted under the guida nce of an appropriate prosthetic team, bone-anchored titanium implants prov ide patients with a safe, reliable,;adhesive-free method to anchor auricula r prostheses with recovery of their normal appearance.