Article

Facial defects (from neoplasms, trauma, etc.) can be
functionally and emotionally devastating. A non-invasive treatment for these
defects is the application of external prostheses. Conventionally, these
prostheses are fabricated by an anaplastologist through a manual procedure, which
is an expensive and time-consuming approach. Current advances in computational
and engineering tools report an improvement in design and manufacturing of
silicone prostheses. This demand motivated this study that aims to develop a
methodology for fabricating customized nasal prostheses. TECHNIQUE: In this
study, an 80-year-old woman with a total defect of the nose is considered as
case-study. The proposed methodology entails six tasks: (a) data acquisition, (b)
three-dimensional reconstruction, (c) prosthesis design, (d) moulds fabrication,
(e) prosthesis manufacturing and (f) final fittings. DISCUSSION: The presented
approach showed encouraging outcomes since it saves time, reduces costs and
allows the achievement of prosthesis with the minimum contact and discomfort to
the patient, disclosing excellent aesthetic and functional results. CLINICAL
RELEVANCE: Custom-made nasal prostheses with minimum contact and discomfort for
the patient can be achieved using an engineering approach based on digital
technologies and additive manufacturing that is cost-effective and less
time-consuming than the manual procedure.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS