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Published on: August 24, 2018
Dental Rehabilitation of the Scapular Tip in Maxillary Reconstruction
Leba M Sarkis1,2,3, John Lee4, Karl Cuddy4
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Introduction:
The fibula-free flap has traditionally been utilized to perform dental rehabilitation following maxillectomy. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with dental implantation of the scapula-tip-free flap in midface reconstruction.
Methods:
Fifteen adult patients underwent midface reconstruction with dental implantation using the scapula tip between January 2013 and December 2023. Implant success was defined as maintenance of the implant after 6 months of healing with associated functional prosthetic rehabilitation.
Results:
A total of 35 implants were placed into 15 scapula-free flaps. There were four implant failures (11.4%) that occurred in three patients (20%) during the study period resulting in an overall implant success rate of 88.6% with a median follow-up period of 2.8 years. All patients were restored with a removable implant overdenture.
Conclusion:
Dental implantation can be achieved in the scapula tip following maxillectomy with a high degree of success.