抄録
This case report describes the use of osseointegrated implants as anchorage of intermaxillary fixation for a hemimandibulectomy patient. The patient was a 59-year-old man with an ameloblastoma of the right mandible. We placed two implants in the mandibular anterior edentulous area, so that these implants could assist in retention of his conventional removable denture after tumor resection. Four days later, we performed tumor resection and an immediate mandibular reconstruction using a titanium plate. Three months later, however, failure of the mandibular reconstruction deviated his left residual mandible to the right side. After removal of the reconstruction plate, we performed intermaxillary fixation using an implant-assisted removable denture for one month, and for one more month, his normal occlusion was maintained by intermaxillary rubber traction. These treatments satisfactorily prevented displacement of the left mandible. Since then, the implant-assisted removable denture has been working adequately for masticatory function. During 7 years' postoperative observation, there were no signs such as implant movement or local pain, except, radio-graphically, bone resorption around the one implant. We attribute this bone resorption to heavy loading. This case indicates that we could to use osseointegrated implants as anchorage of intermaxillary fixation.
