Rehabilitation of the Exenterated Socket

The goal of rehabilitation following exenteration is to reduce the negative impact of this radical surgery on patients’ quality of life. With advancements in anaplastology, epistheses have become the preferred rehabilitative method, owing to their ease of use, bio-tolerability, and low cost, although the primary challenge remains a stable fixation to the orbit, particularly with glass-borne and adhesive prostheses. To overcome this limitation, prostheses retained by bone-anchored implants have been devised, based on the concept of implant osseointegration. Osseointegrated-anchored epistheses are particularly beneficial in the context of extended exenterations, malformations, and severe orbital-cranio-facial trauma. The authors describe their experience with bone-anchored prostheses in craniofacial reconstruction, with a particular emphasis on rehabilitation of the exenterated orbit.