Technology in prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with facial defects: Systematic review

Abstract

The facial region is important for patients’ socialization. Therefore, the mutilation of this area should be rehabilitated quickly and effectively. The objective of this review was to analyze which software and equipment are most commonly used for the acquisition, manipulation of images, and printing of prototypes and facial prostheses, correlating with the type of prosthesis. The search strategy was customized for 7 different databases: LILACS, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, OpenGrey, and Google Scholar. Articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, with abstract and full article readings performed independently by 2 authors, with disagreements resolved through a consensus meeting. The risk of bias for each included article was analyzed using JBI. Subsequently, data such as the type of prosthesis manufactured, software used, equipment for defect image acquisition, and printing equipment were collected. The data were tabulated, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Most studies reported the fabrication of nasal prostheses, followed by auricular and ocular prostheses. The primary technology chosen for patient defect image acquisition was computed tomography, and for image manipulation, Materialise Mimics software was commonly used. Additionally, a significant portion of the studies reported the use of direct three-dimensional printing. In conclusion, there is a significant heterogeneity among articles in the equipment and software used, and there is no clear relationship between these factors and the type of prosthesis manufactured.