Evaluation of implant losses and skin reactions around extraoral bone-anchored implants:: A 0-to 8-year follow-up

This is an 8-year follow-up of a group of 214 patients who underwent surgical insertion of titanium implants in the mastoid process for the retention of bone-anchored hearing aids and auricular prostheses. The skin reactions around the implants and the various factors dealing with implant loss were evaluated. The number of patients who never had any episode of adverse skin reactions during the 8-year period is 70% and is about the same as previously reported. The frequency and degree of adverse skin reactions were noted to be decreasing with time. The young age group had the highest incidence of adverse skin reactions, and this high frequency is consistent with results of earlier reports. None of the remaining group of patients (30%) who had 1 or more episodes of adverse skin reactions lost their implants because of this problem; most implant losses were primarily the result of loss of integration. The probability of losing an implant because of adverse skin reactions is quite low; however, these skin reactions, if left untreated, may eventually lead to implant loss or withdrawal.