Experimental analysis of retention forces of different magnetic devices for bone-anchored auricular facial prostheses

The aim of this study was to determine which combination of differently designed magnetic abutments provides the best retention for an auricular prosthesis. The withdrawal forces of eight combinations of abutments were measured and results compared. There was a significantly higher withdrawal force in arrangements containing three magnets over only two. The highest withdrawal force was found in the combination of one telescopic magnet and two large spherical magnets (median: 7.69 N), whereas two telescopic magnets alone showed the lowest withdrawal force (3.41 N). The use of two conical magnets increased retention slightly, but the median retention force remained the same (3.41 N). The commonly used combination of two small spherical magnets and one telescopic magnet showed the lowest retention of combinations consisting of three magnets (4.94 N). There seems to be no difference in median withdrawal force if a conical magnet instead of a telescopic magnet is used. The withdrawal force at a 45° angle was about 10% higher than the vertical force but the difference was not significant. The rupture force needed to tear the magnet completely out of the silicone was 240.6–519.7 N (mean 331.74 N) and therefore over 10 times higher than magnetic retention.