A prosthetic is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or congenital conditions. Prosthetics are typically made of materials such as metals, plastics, and ceramics.
There are three main types of prosthetics: those that replace bones or joints; those that replace soft tissues such as skin or muscle; and those that replace organs. Joint replacements are the most common type of prosthetic, followed by bone replacements and then organ replacements.
Prosthetics can be used to improve function in people with disabilities and to treat patients with conditions such as arthritis. They can also be used cosmetically to improve appearance. In some cases, people choose to have cosmetic surgery to change their appearance and then have a prosthetic device fitted to match the new look.
Bone and joint replacement prosthetics are usually made from metal alloys such as titanium or stainless steel. These materials are strong and durable but can cause problems if they come into contact with other metal objects in the body, such as pacemakers or dental fillings. To reduce the risk of this happening, many bone and joint replacement devices now have a coating of ceramic or plastic on them. This protects the metal from corrosion and also reduces friction between the device and the surrounding tissue.
Soft tissue prosthetics include artificial skin grafts, which can be used to cover burns or other areas where there is no hair growth; breast implants; abdominal wall reconstruction after surgery;and penis enlargement surgery . Most soft tissue prosthetics are made from silicone rubber because it has a similar feel to human skin . However , other materials suchas Gore-Tex ® , Teflon ®,and Dacron ® may also be used . Soft tissueprosthetics must be able to stretch so that they move with the bodyand do not cause discomfort . They also need to be ableto resist infection because they provide an entry point for bacteriainto the body . One way of reducing the riskof infection is to coat the devices with antibiotics . Another is toget rid of any folds in the material so that bacteria cannot hide inthem . However , even with these measures , thereis still a small risk of infection associated with soft tissuematerials . For this reason , it is importantfor people who have had these types of devices fittedto take care when handling them and always wash their handsbefore touching them . It is also advisableto avoid sharing towels or bedding with someone who hasasoft tissue implant . In addition , peoplewith implants should let their dentist know so that extra carecan be taken during any dental work . Thereis also a small risk that silicone rubber breast implantsmay leak ; however , this only happens in around 1%of cases over 10 years