Determination of the Anatomical Features of the Temporal Bones at the Stage of Planning Extraoral Implantation in Ectoprosthetics of the Auricle

Abstract

At the present stage of the development of maxillofacial surgery, the treatment of patients with defects in the auricles is one of the most difficult. Defects of the auricles, characterized by its absence, are divided according to the etiological factor into two main groups: congenital (microtia) and acquired (as a result of injuries of various origins). Microtia (including anotia the complete absence of the auricle) is a malformation of the auricle and the external auditory canal caused by anomalies of the first and second zygomatic arch and the first sulcus.
Congenital malformations of the auricle occur in 1 out of 700–15 000 newborns and more often have a right-sided localization. In 15 % of cases, they are hereditary, and in 85 % they are sporadic, in boys they are detected on average 2–2,5 times more often than in girls.
Currently, much attention is paid to the prosthetic reconstruction of the auricle with fixation by means of cranial intraosseous implants. At the same time precise diagnostics of the state of the temporal bones in the area of the proposed implantation and the correct positioning of the intraosseous supports are the basis of an effective fixation system. Among the methods of radiological diagnostics used for planning ectoprosthetics of the auricles, radiography has long been preferred. However, the introduction of computed tomography into clinical practice has provided a high-quality assessment of the temporal bones state, which has increased the efficiency of surgical intervention planning and treatment.