Implant prosthetic rehabilitation of posterior mandible after tumor ablation with inferior nerve mobilization and inlay bone grafting: A Case Report.

Purpose: To report a successful clinical case of dental implant provisionalization of a posterior mandible resected for tumor ablation and subsequently reconstructed with interpositional bone grafting after mobilization of the inferior alveolar nerve. Materials and Methods: A 47-year-old woman with a severe posterior mandibular defect due to ablation of a squamous cell carcinoma was treated with transposition of the inferior alveolar nerve and inlay iliac bone graft. Four months later, 4 dental implants were inserted and immediately provisionalized. Bone core biopsies were taken during implant insertion. After an additional 3 months, a definitive fixed bridge was inserted. Results: At the 24-month follow-up visit, all implants appeared to have osseointegrated. The histologic examination showed that the grafted bone was lined by newly, formed bone without gaps at the interface. Conclusions: Inlay bone grafting can allow implant provisonalization of the posterior mandible even with a remarkable bone alveolar deficit after tumor ablation. (C) 2009 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67:1104-1112, 2009