Craniofacial prostheses are

prostheses In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

made by individuals trained in

anaplastology Anaplastology (''Gk. ''ana''-again, anew, upon ''plastos''-something made, formed, molded ''logy''-the study of'') is a branch of medicine dealing with the prosthetic rehabilitation of an absent, disfigured or malformed anatomically critical locati ...

or maxillofacial prosthodontics who medically help rehabilitate those with facial defects caused by

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

(mostly progressed forms of

skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are three main types of skin cancers: basal-cell skin cancer (BCC) ...

, and

head and neck cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptom ...

), trauma ( outer ear trauma,

eye trauma Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conve ...

) or

birth defects A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

(

microtia Microtia is a congenital deformity where the auricle (external ear) is underdeveloped. A completely undeveloped pinna is referred to as anotia. Because microtia and anotia have the same origin, it can be referred to as microtia-anotia. Microti ...

anophthalmia Anophthalmia, (Greek: ἀνόφθαλμος, "without eye"), is the medical term for the absence of one or both eyes. Both the globe (human eye) and the ocular tissue are missing from the orbit. The absence of the eye will cause a small bony orbi ...

). They have the ability to replace almost any part of the face, but most commonly the ear,

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passe ...

or eye/

eyelids An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eye ...

. An

ocular prosthesis An ocular prosthesis, artificial eye or glass eye is a type of craniofacial prosthesis that replaces an absent natural eye following an enucleation, evisceration, or orbital exenteration. The prosthesis fits over an orbital implant and under ...

and

hair prosthesis A hair prosthesis (or cranial prosthesis) is a custom-made wig specifically designed for patients who have lost their hair as a result of medical conditions or treatments, such as alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, trichotillomania, chemotherapy, or ...

can also be classified as craniofacial prostheses. Prostheses are held in place either by biocompatible drying

adhesives Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

, osseointegrated implants,

magnets A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel ...

, or another mechanical means (although rare) such as glasses or straps. Prostheses are designed to be as similar as possible to the natural anatomy of each individual. Their purpose is to cover, protect, and disguise facial disfigurements or underdevelopments. When surgical reconstruction is not ideal, craniofacial prosthetics are favored when they can better restore the form and function of the absent facial feature. Craniofacial prosthetics are not wholly considered

cosmetic Cosmetic may refer to: *Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning *Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body *Cosmetic, a t ...

because they replace the physical

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data * ...

and functional

mechanics Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to objec ...

of the absent anatomy and serve a significant role in the emotional stability and rehabilitation of those with facial defects.

References

External links

International Anaplastology Association

What Are The Different Types of Prosthetics?

* {{cite journal , vauthors=Keerl R, Weber R, Scholtes W, Draf W, Heieis G, Trainer D , title=Prosthetic rehabilitation after craniofacial surgery , journal=Skull Base Surg , volume=6 , issue=4 , pages=207–13 , year=1996 , pmid=17171010 , pmc=1656617 , doi=10.1055/s-2008-1058627 Prosthetics Implants (medicine) Oral and maxillofacial surgery Rehabilitation medicine

See also

References

External links