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Breast cancer is the most diagnosed type of cancer in the world, and mastectomies to remove tumors are still common. An external breast prosthesis (EBP) can be used to minimize the asymmetry, due to the ablation. Some governments do not cover costs of that assistive technology, and women end up using socks and fabric pockets filled with seeds, to simulate the volume lost in the surgery. This study aims to offer to those women a decent solution, ergonomic, but still affordable.

The authors interviewed 20 mastectomized Brazilian women, listened to their relate and 3D scanned them, to give rise to personalized external lightweight breast prostheses. The authors used free software for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, and low-cost 3D printers. From the strategy of bespoke products, this study generalized the method, to conceive mass customized prostheses, in a compromise solution that reduces personalization, conserving the best features of design.

This study achieved a method to manufacture ergonomic, bespoke external breast prostheses, using low-cost technology. Previous literature made them using expensive scanners, software and printers.

The authors validated this method during pandemic, which restricted the number of patients the authors could have access to. This impacted authors’ possibility to work on matching the color of the final product and real skin. The authors understood, though, that precision of color, in the final product, is challenging, because of the peculiar aspects of human skin.

Using the method the authors proposed, personalized external breast prostheses can be manufactured using low-cost resources, democratizing better quality of life for more breast cancer survivors.

Medical devices are undergoing rapid changes because of the increasing affordability of advanced technologies like additive manufacturing (AM) and three-dimensional scanning. New avenues are available for providing solutions and comfort that were not previously conceivable. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the research on developing prostheses using AM to understand the opportunities and challenges in the domain. Various studies on prosthesis development using AM are investigated to explore the scope of integration of AM in prostheses development.

A review of key publications from the past two decades was conducted. Integration of AM and prostheses development is reviewed from the technologies, materials and functionality point of view to identify challenges, opportunities and future scope.

AM in prostheses provides superior physical and cognitive ergonomics and reduced cost and delivery time. Patient-specific, lightweight solutions for complex designs improve comfort, functionality and clinical outcomes. Compared to existing procedures and methodologies, using AM technologies in prosthetics could benefit a large population.

This paper helps investigate the impact of AM and related technology in the field of prosthetics and can also be viewed as a collection of relevant medical research and findings.

This paper examines the extent to which 3D printed children's prostheses function as enabling technology. The focus lies on the experiences of children with upper limb body differences using 3D printed prostheses in the context of (posthuman) cyborg theories.

This article is based on several years of field research applying a grounded theory approach. (Health) technology and the body are examined with special regard to the vulnerability of the technology user who is, also, the technology designer. Taking these children's particular vulnerability and sensitivity into account, the method of “cultural probes” was further developed applying distributed socio-(bio-)technical probes, which conceive soma design as the matter of a socio-material world.

It was shown that the e-NABLE device is not only a socially enabling somatechnic but can itself be limiting, vulnerable and painful for children due to its materiality. The somatechnical construction of children's bodies and identities are presented as heroic figures, which, in part, produces and experiences a corporeal being that is based on and identifies with these heroes and heroines – but may not always be in the interests of children with disabilities. In order to meet these children's needs, the author argues in line with crip technoscience that 3D printed prostheses should be co-developed with (and specifically for) them.

This paper is the first of its kind to consider the daily lives of children with 3D printed prostheses and their experiences as knowers and makers of such. This paper adds to the body of knowledge in the field of crip technoscience and enabling technologies.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon 10.1108/JET-02-2022-0017

The purpose of this paper is to describe a visual try-in evaluation framework for the template-guided modelling of a nasal prosthesis.

For patients with nasal defects, there is no self-information that can be used for the fabrication of the nasal prosthesis. Based on model retrieval from a database, the template-guided model construction method can ensure successful building of the nasal prosthesis. The deviation measurement between the two mid-planes of pre-operative and visual post-operative patient’s face allowed a virtual try-in approach in the symmetry evaluation of the prosthetic rehabilitation. The test of fit between the prosthesis model and the surrounding tissue data also provided an evaluation of whether the nasal prosthesis fit the patient’s appearance well before operation.

A case study confirmed that this visual try-in evaluation framework has potential to design the desired nasal prosthesis for daily clinical practice.

This technique facilitates modelling of nasal prostheses while helping to predict the effect before the prosthesis is manufactured.

This visual try-in evaluation framework has great potential for use in clinical applications because of its advantages on the aesthetic evaluation of the prosthetic rehabilitation.

The purpose of this paper is to generate a virtual knee angle reference to be followed by a knee prosthesis control, using an adaptive central pattern generator (CPG). Also, to study the feasibility of this approach to implement a continuous control strategy on the prosthesis.

A CPG based on amplitude controlled phase oscillators (ACPOs) to track the current percentage of gait cycle on the prosthesis is proposed. Then, the virtual knee angle reference is generated along gait cycle, by interpolation with the corresponding angle of a sound knee. The structure and coupling of the CPG, as well as the control strategy are presented.

The coupling of the CPG with real gait on the prosthesis was proven, regardless of gait speed. Also, it was found that the maximum knee angle reached during walking is proportional to gait speed. Finally, generation of virtual knee angle reference to be followed by a prosthesis is demonstrated.

As only one event detected along gait cycle was used to update the CPG phase, the response to gait speed changes might be slow. Updating the CPG with more events remains for a future work.

The coupling of the CPG with real gait on the prosthesis results in a continuous gait cycle tracker, useful for any control strategy to be applied.

It is the first time a bio‐inspired concept as CPGs is applied to the prosthetic field. This could mean the beginning of a new era of cybernetic prostheses, which reproduce the lost limb and also the control functions of it.

The purpose of this paper is to present an improved methodology for design of custom‐made hip prostheses, through integration of advanced image processing, computer aided design (CAD) and additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.

The proposed methodology for design of custom‐made hip prostheses is based on an independent design criterion for each of the intra‐medullary and extra‐medullary portions of the prosthesis. The intra‐medullar part of the prosthesis is designed using a more accurate and detailed description of the 3D geometry of the femoral intra‐medullary cavity, including the septum calcar ridge, so that an improved fill and fit performance is achieved. The extra‐medullary portion of the prosthesis is designed based on the anatomical features of the femoral neck, in order to restore the original biomechanical characteristics of the hip joint. The whole design procedure is implemented in a systematic framework to provide a fast, repeatable and non‐subjective response which can be further evaluated and modified in a preplanning simulation environment.

The efficacy of the proposed methodology for design of custom‐made hip prostheses was evaluated in a case study on a hip dysplasia patient. The cortical bone was distinguished from cancellous in CT images using a thresholding procedure. In particular the septum calcar ridge could be recognized and was incorporated in the design to improve the primary stability of the prosthesis. The lateral and frontal views of the prosthesis, with the patient's images at the background, indicated a close geometrical match with the cortical bone of femoral shaft, and a good compatibility with the anatomy of the proximal femur. Also examination of the cross sections of the prosthesis and the patient's intra‐medullary canal at five critical levels revealed close geometrical match in distal stem but less conformity in proximal areas due to preserving the septum calcar ridge. The detailed analysis of the fitting deviation between the prosthesis and point cloud data of the patient's femoral intra‐medullary canal, indicated a rest fitting deviation of 0.04 to 0.11 mm in stem. However, relatively large areas of interference fit of −0.04 mm were also found which are considered to be safe and not contributing to the formation of bone cracks. The geometrical analysis of the extra‐medullary portion of the prosthesis indicated an anteversion angle of 12.5 degrees and a neck‐shaft angle of 131, which are both in the acceptable range. Finally, a time and cost effective investment casting technique, based on AM technology, was used for fabrication of the prosthesis.

The proposed design methodology helps to improve the fixation stability of the custom made total hip prostheses and restore the original biomechanical characteristics of the joint. The fabrication procedure, based on AM technology, enables the production of the customized hip prosthesis more accurately, quickly and economically.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the transformations of prosthetic practices in China, as well as the daily experiences and dilemmas arising from the everchanging practices since 1949. On the basis of materials, this paper explores an everyday perspective to review the history of technology.

Ethnography was collected with the application of participant observations, informal interviews and in-depth interviews during a 13-months study at a rehabilitation center in Chengdu, China. The literature on prosthetic manufacturing was also reviewed for this paper.

China's prosthetic technology seems to evolve from traditional to modern. However, this progressive narrative – innovation-based timeline (Edgerton, 2006, xi) – has been challenged by daily practices. Due to institutional pressures, prosthetists are in a dilemma of selectively using their knowledge to create one kind of device for all prosthesis users with a certain kind of disability, thereby regulating the physical and social experiences of prosthesis users. Besides, prosthesis users are accustomed to prostheses made with old techniques, and must correct themselves from old experiences to the daily practices recognized by the selected techniques.

This paper provides a cross-cultural case to reexamine Edgerton's criticism of the progressive and orderly innovation-centric technological narrative. More importantly, it reviews the history and practices of China's prosthetics from daily experiences rather than Edgerton's concentration on technology; therefore, it provides an everyday perspective for future research on technological transformations.

The objective of this study is to investigate an appropriate breast prosthesis of pattern with center of gravity that exerts less clothing pressure on women who are breast cancer patients.

From November 2018, clothing pressure was measured with silk fabric breast prosthesis (SBP) of three different patterns above an affected breast (AB) by the force-sensitive resistance (FSR) sensor.

When wearing SBP above the AB, clothing pressure was significantly different in the healthy breast (HB) and the AB; the highest clothing pressure was at the center of nipple in the AB. Meanwhile, the top of the nipple area in the HB experienced higher clothing pressure than before wearing it. Because wearing heavy breast prosthesis presses down, influencing the HB as well. However, below the bottom of the breast bra curve in the AB, clothing pressure becomes lower than before wearing it. Because when the breast prosthesis was inserted into the bra, the clothing pressure not only increased generally but also the clothing pressure divided at some areas. Also, when comparing three different patterns of SBP, the result indicated a significant difference in clothing pressure only inside of breast cap and the center of gravity of the lower breast prosthesis has the lowest clothing pressure.

A comparison in pressure based on a circuit design (FSR sensors) and an air pack (AP) device was presented. Further work will be focused on the generation of pressure clothing for breast cancer patients.

The paper demonstrates that wearing breast prosthesis with a center of gravity in the lower position from the nipple area has less effect on breast cancer women. The results of this paper facilitate the pattern design of clothing for patients.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a template‐based framework for nasal prosthesis fabrication using a 3D areal scanner and a CT scanner.

Use of a self‐designed 3D areal scanner enables acquisition of accurate data describing the patient's face. Patients with nasal defects have no organization for reference, but the template‐based model construction method can ensure successful building of the outer surface of the nasal prosthesis. Since the areal scanner has some difficulties acquiring data for concave areas, preoperative CT data are used to provide concave information, enabling construction of the inner surface for the nasal prosthesis. The combined inner and outer surfaces are used to generate the completed nasal prosthesis.

The results showed that the nasal prosthesis fits the patient's appearance well. Clinical applications confirmed that this framework is attractive and has the potential desired nasal prosthesis in daily clinical practice.

The results of this study improve the fabrication accuracy of nasal prostheses. The construction and development technique employs a nasal digital library, 3D areal scanning data and CT scanning data. This technique facilitates fabrication of precise nasal prostheses while helping the patients predict the effect before the prosthesis is manufactured.

This template‐based framework has strong potential for clinical applications because of its advantages over other methods in terms of accuracy, speed, safety, and cost.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an imperfect symmetry transform framework for orbital prosthesis modelling.

Current models of patients with orbital defects have imperfect symmetries. Commonly used methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA) or iterative closest points algorithm (ICP), do not detect perfect symmetries and therefore produce poor results. The authors propose an improved ICP algorithm based on the M‐estimator, which can remove outliers from the optimization and detect incorrect symmetry. Using this algorithm, the mid‐facial plane of a patient's facial model can be precisely obtained despite perturbation of the facial shape due to the defect.

The results showed that the orbital prosthesis fitted well to the patient's appearance. Clinical applications confirmed that this framework is attractive and has the potential for use in creating desired orbital prostheses or other bilateral maxillofacial prostheses in daily clinical practice.

The method described in this report will improve the fabrication accuracy of orbital prostheses or other bilateral maxillofacial prostheses.

This imperfect symmetry transform framework has great potential for use in clinical applications because of its advantages over other existing methods in terms of accuracy.