Urethane-lined silicone facial prostheses

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Prosthetics Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Silicone prostheses are widely used but can suffer from poor surface properties.
• Current linings may not offer optimal adhesion, durability, wettability, or resistance to microbial growth.
• Improving these characteristics is crucial for patient comfort and prosthesis longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify an effective material for lining silicone prostheses.
• To enhance key surface properties including adhesion, tear resistance, wettability, smoothness, and fungal resistance.
• To develop a fabrication technique for incorporating the lining into silicone prostheses.

Main Methods:

• Extensive testing of various lining materials for silicone prostheses.
• Evaluation of material properties such as adheophilicity, tear resistance, wettability, smoothness, and fungal resistance.
• Development and description of a vacuum adaptation technique for fabricating lined prostheses.

Main Results:

• A vacuum adaptable thermoplastic prefabricated thin urethane film demonstrated superior performance.
• This urethane film effectively improved adhesion, tear resistance, wettability, smoothness, and fungal resistance.
• A practical fabrication technique for creating these lined prostheses was successfully developed.

Conclusions:

• Thermoplastic urethane film is a highly effective material for lining silicone prostheses.
• The developed lining technique significantly enhances prosthesis surface characteristics.
• This advancement offers improved functionality and durability for silicone prosthetic devices.