Adaptation of Conventional Versus Virtually Fabricated Ear Prosthesis in Patients With Auricular Defects

: patients were recruited for auricular prosthetic reconstruction. Preoperative data was collected including personal and medical history, plain photographs and CT scans. Pre-operative prosthetic and implant planning were carried out. Three endosseous implants were placed in a two-stage surgical technique. Patients were assigned into two groups with allocation ratio 1:1. In control group, Implant level impression was recorded, and a stone model of the defect was cast. waxing up of the ear was done on the stone cast followed by flasking, wax elimination, packing of heat cured acrylic resin and curing. In intervention group, CT scanning was done to the full head and optical scanning was done to the defect site with scan bodies screwed to the implants. Using Exocad software a model of the defect site with implant analogues and ear model with abutment extensions were planned and printed using SLA printing technology. A placement jig was done for ear models of both groups and adaptation was measured on the patient using silicon replica technique. The silicone replica was sectioned and the gap, represented in light consistency polyvinyl siloxane impression material was measured using digital microscope.