Aesthetic finger prosthesis using additive manufacturing and low-cost technologies

Abstract Finger amputation is the most common form of upper-limb amputation. The traditional method for manufacturing aesthetic facial and finger prostheses rely historically manual techniques, which are very laborious, artisanal and not very accessible. In recent years, multidisciplinary approaches combined with technological advances in Additive Manufacturing, 3D Scanning, virtual design, and planning have increasingly been applied to the manufacturing of full and partial hand prostheses. In this context, this study aims to propose and evaluate, through four clinical cases, an alternative procedure for manufacturing aesthetic finger prostheses using alternative low-cost technologies. The proposed procedure is divided into four main stages: (1) acquisition of the patient’s anatomy; (2) virtual planning of the prosthesis; (3) mold fabrication using Additive Manufacturing and (4) siliconization, pigmentation and finishing. Four finger prostheses were manufactured and evaluated by patients. The results demonstrated a positive impact of the proposed procedure, as evidenced by favorable patient evaluations. The procedure proposed and evaluated in this work presents itself as a viable and cost-effective alternative for the manufacture of aesthetic finger prostheses and with potential for application to other anatomical regions, serving as a reference for these applications.