Craniofacial osseointegration: technique for bar and acrylic resin substructure construction for auricular prostheses

Retention of auricular prostheses with adhesives is frequently problematic. Craniofacial osseointegrated implants have become an accepted biotechnique used in auricular reconstruction. This article describes a procedure for bar and acrylic resin substructure construction that allows for the incorporation of desired features. The most common means of retaining auricular prostheses is with bar and clip systems. For auricular prostheses, two implants are placed with the bar designed to minimize torquing on the implants and to facilitate hygiene. Additionally, the bar should not have to be removed from the patient when new prostheses are to be constructed. The procedure provides for a more biomechanically effective bar construction and efficient means of constructing replicate acrylic resin substructures.