Electromechanical Reshaping of Face, Neck and Auricular Cartilages: A Scoping Review

Electromechanical Reshaping (EMR) has emerged as a novel modality to reshape the cartilage of face and neck in a minimally invasive manner. This scoping review focusses on assessing the efficacy and potential of EMR in clinical utility. Studies were collected and analyzed by two authors. PubMed, Scopus, and Springer were searched for databases from January 2000 to April 2024. Studies encompassing peer-reviewed original research articles on EMR in cartilage tissues, experimented in-vivo or ex-vivo were included. The data examined were mechanism of action, dosimetry, safety parameters, physical and chemical parameters, and electrode geometry. After screening 235 articles by de-duplication and by following inclusion and exclusion criteria, 27 articles were included in the review. The full-text articles were completely analyzed, the articles emphasized EMR in cartilage in-vivo or ex-vivo animal models. It was evident that EMR has less interference with tissue injury and has the potential to reshape the cartilage non-invasively when compared to other reshaping methods. Further studies are required for clinical validation and compatibility. EMR presents potential as a minimally invasive cartilage reshaping technique with favorable efficacy and safety profiles but requires optimization in dosimetry, electrode geometry and other parameters. Extensive clinical studies involving human subjects are essential for long-term validation and clinical readiness.