Quality of life of patients receiving short dental implants in microvascular free flaps: a five year prospective study

Placing dental implants in the microvascular bone free flaps used for reconstruction of mandible or maxilla is a technique that has been previously reported. However, there is a scarcity of data on the use of short dental implants in this situation, as well as on the performance of prosthetic restorations. Therefore, this prospective study enrolled 13 patients who have undergone jaw reconstruction using one of the four types of microvascular osseous flaps, who received a total of 44 implants. Patients who completed prosthetic rehabilitation answered questionnaires on their quality-of-life over the course of their treatment. The results revealed a high implant survival rate of 97.1% (95% CI: 80.9-99.6%), and a similarly high success rate of 88.2% (95% CI: 71.6-95.4%) at 63 months after implant surgery. Additionally, survey results revealed quality-of-life improvements after prosthetic rehabilitation, specifically in the areas of food and fluid intake, as well as articulating language. Overall, short implants in microvascular free flaps provide a robust solution for the functional rehabilitation of dentition in patients with head and neck malignancies.