Vascularized fibula free flap for implant rehabilitation in the case of extreme atrophy

Abstract

The skeletal reconstruction in cases of extreme atrophy like a class VI Cawood classification can be carried out using free bone flaps. They represent a valid option for preprosthetic rehabilitation of atrophic maxillas. Over the last 5 years, the use of vascularized bone transplants, aimed at implant-prosthetic rehabilitation, has become a practice, which has gradually found the right indications and the range of applications, which are now widely acknowledged. The key to success in the use of free flaps lies in the identification of the correct indications for use, in meticulous programming and the particular motivation that this type of patient has for reacquiring optimum masticatory functions. The final prosthetic implant rehabilitation must be prosthetically guided and an accurate preoperative planning is of fundamental importance for restoring masticatory functions and esthetic harmony to the patient through a fixed prosthesis. The authors present a case of a rehabilitation of an extreme maxillary and mandibular atrophy.