Tracking Tag Stabilization With a Small-Diameter Implant in an Edentulous Mandible to Assist Dynamically Navigated...

This report describes the use of a temporary dental implant to secure a radiographic fiducial marker and patient-tracking tag to an edentulous mandible for dynamically guided implant placement into a fibula microvascular free flap. A small-diameter dental implant was placed into the anterior mandible to secure a radiographic fiducial marker followed by a patient tag. The patient tag allowed for tracking of the patient's mandible during placement of endosseous dental implants. Four endosseous dental implants were successfully placed into the edentulous fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction. Dynamic navigation using a small-diameter implant to secure radiographic fiducial markers and patient tags provides a novel technique to place implants into an edentulous microvascular free flap with minimal incision and reflection of soft tissue.