Five years' experience with bone-anchored auricular prostheses.

A prosthetic device might be indicated in craniofacial reconstruction when plastic surgery is impossible or when the final cosmetic result is unsatisfactory. However, the attachment of a prosthesis is often very difficult. Bone-anchored, skin-penetrating titanium implants have been used for retention of auricular prostheses in 38 patients. The patients have been followed up for 1 to 5 years. No patient has been lost to follow-up. Only 1 implant out of the 159 inserted was found to have failed to integrate. Two skin-penetrating abutments have been removed because of inflammation where they penetrated the skin. The surgical procedure as well as the manufacture of the prostheses and the attachment is presented in detail.