Abstract: Maxillary bone defects severely compromise patients’ abilities to chew, speak, and swallow, and also significantly affect facial aesthetics. Traditional prosthetic rehabilitation and free flap reconstruction present inherent limitations in clinical practice. Zygomatic implant technology, by anchoring implants to the zygomatic bone, offers a novel approach for the functional and structural rehabilitation of maxillary defects. However, this technique involves complex craniofacial anatomical structures and demands high surgical precision and intraoperative stability. The clinical success of zygomatic implants largely depends on accurate preoperative planning and precise surgical execution. In recent years, the integration of digital technologies has greatly enhanced the accuracy and predictability of zygomatic implant surgery. This article systematically reviews the digital surgical workflow for managing maxillary defects with zygomatic implants, including multimodal imaging data acquisition and registration, prosthesis-driven implant planning, and the application of dynamic navigation systems and augmented reality technologies. Additionally, representative clinical cases are presented to illustrate the practical value of these digital technologies in zygomatic implant surgery for maxillary reconstruction. Looking ahead, with the continuous advancement of artificial intelligence and robotic-assisted surgical technologies, the degree of automation and intelligence in zygomatic implant procedures is expected to improve further, thereby promoting more personalized and precise solutions for maxillary defect rehabilitation.

Key words: Zygomatic implant, Maxillary defect, Digital workflow, Navigation