[Ear prostheses in burns of the external ear. Technical notes].

Ear reconstruction is best performed with autologous tissue. However, there are selected cases in which a prosthesis may be preferred. Some patients are unwilling to undertake multiple surgical procedures, others do not accept the chest wall scar. More importantly, in severe post burn cases, the scars in the periauricular region can truly compromise the outcome of an autologous reconstruction. In such cases, the authors perform a prosthetic reconstruction which is anchored to the cranial bone by means of osteointegrated titanium screws. The method described here has been modified compared to the original Bränemark system. A new microscrew design allows the implants to be inserted in a single surgical procedure. A magnetic anchoring system avoids cumbersome external rods, and the overall size of the masses emerging from the skin is significantly reduced. These improvements increase patient comfort and compliance.