Advances in osseointegrated implants for dental and facial rehabilitation following major head and neck surgery

Osseointegrated implants can be used to facilitate retention stability and support for facial and intraoral prostheses used to restore head and neck defects. Preliminary studies indicate that in nonirradiated maxillectomy patients the success rates are about 75%. In the reconstructed mandible the results appear to be more favorable--over 90% for implants placed in free nonvascularized bone grafts and over 90% for free revascularized bone grafts. Similar high success rates have been observed for most sites used to support facial prostheses. Success rates for auricular sites exceed 95% and for floor of nose sites success rates exceed 90%. Success rates have been lower (77%) for implants placed in the frontal bone for retention of orbital prostheses. Success rates for irradiated bone sites have been lower and range from 60.4% in the maxilla to 68.6% in facial bone sites. Of greater concern is that most implants placed in irradiated sites are beginning to show signs of impending failure.