Peri-implant skin graft for a craniofacial prosthesis

Abstract

Patients who sustain avulsive craniofacial injuries are sometimes better reconstructed esthetically and functionally with prosthetic devices rather than regional or distant flaps and grafts. 1 Sugar A Beumer 3rd, J Reconstructive prosthetic methods for facial defects. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 1994; 7: 755-764 Google Scholar , 2 Flood TR Russell K Reconstruction of nasal defects with implant-retained nasal prostheses. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1998; 36: 341-345 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar , 3 Tjellstrom A Hakannson B Linstrom J Brånemark PI Hallen O Rosenhall U et al. Analysis of the mechanical impedance of bone anchored hearing aids. Acta Otolaryngol. 1980; 89: 85-92 Crossref PubMed Scopus (84) Google Scholar Unfortunately, available bone for placement of craniofacial implants is often limited. The overlying soft tissues are thick and mobile, which requires the use of longer transcutaneous attachments. However, these attachments may compromise the stability of the implants and lead to implant loss. The facial prosthesis also must be of sufficient thickness to provide for adequate camouflage of the underlying structures, strength, and insertion of different retaining attachments. This should not be accomplished at the expense of, or compromise, the surface architecture of the facial prosthesis. To accommodate these requirements, bone recontouring, skin and subcutaneous debulking, and split thickness skin grafts are performed.