Skin frictional properties of four kinds of prosthetic materials in common use have been researched. Experiments are carried out on residual limb and on normal tibia. Surface roughness and the hydrophobic/hydrophilic of the skin and materials are also tested. Under normal load 0.3 N and 0.7 N, the friction coefficient of silicon rubber and skin has the maximum value among all the materials due to the surface property of silicon rubber (containing oil). There is remarkable difference in friction coefficient between normal skin and amputee skin when they are in contact with silicon rubber (P<0.05). Other materials show "the higher the hydrophobia tendency of surface, the lower the friction coefficient". There are no significant differences (P>0.05) in friction coefficient between amputee skin and normal skin when they are in contact with all materials under normal load 8 N.
Acrylates ; chemistry ; Artificial Limbs ; adverse effects ; classification ; Friction ; physiology ; Humans ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Materials Testing ; Polyethylene ; chemistry ; Silicone Elastomers ; chemistry ; Skin Physiological Phenomena ; Touch ; physiology

Alloplastic implants are known to be inert for many years, though complications are infrequently reported many years after their insertion. We report the case of a patient who had undergone a blow-out fracture repair five years before the discovery of a hematic cyst. He had been free of symptoms for the first five years after his orbital floor repair but then developed pain on eyeball movement and persistent vertical diplopia, which finally led to surgical intervention. At surgery, a hematic cyst was found to have formed around the implanted silastic plate. When alloplastic material is used in orbital fracture repair, we should be alert for late complications which may occur many years after surgery.
Adult ; Biocompatible Materials ; *Blood ; Bone Cysts/diagnosis/*etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Orbital Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology ; Orbital Fractures/diagnosis/*surgery ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostheses and Implants/*adverse effects ; Reoperation ; Silicone Elastomers/*adverse effects ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and safety of the implantation of a new type of testicular prosthesis in the treatment of testis loss.

METHODSWe recruited for this study 18 patients with testis loss treated by testicular prosthesis implantation, including 10 cases of prostate cancer, 3 cases of anorchia, 2 case of orchiatrophy, 2 cases of hermaphroditism and 1 case of cryptorchidism. The prosthesis was a hollow silicone elastomer YH-G1 made in China, selected according to the volume of the scrotum and the size of the contralateral testis.

RESULTSThirteen of the patients received testicular prosthesis implantation with orchiectomy, and the other 5 underwent the procedure 6 months later. The operation time of testicular prosthesis implantation was (22.6 +/- 4.6) min, ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. All the patients were discharged after 12 hours of postoperative observation, with a mean hospital stay of (1.3 +/- 0.4) days. A follow-up after 6 months revealed no complications in 17 cases. Rejection occurred in 1 case at 3 months after the implantation, ending in the removal of the prosthesis. Of the 17 successful cases, 15 were very satisfied with the size of the prosthesis, 14 with its weight, 12 with its comfortableness, and all with the appearance of the scrotum and the position of the prosthesis, while 5 found the implant too rigid.

CONCLUSIONThe implantation of the new home-made silicone elastomer testicular prosthesis YH-G1 was safe and effective for the treatment of testis loss, and could meet the esthetic and psychological requirements of the patient. But further observation is needed for its long-term complications and influence on the patient's quality of life.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XY ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orchiectomy ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Implantation ; adverse effects ; Silicone Elastomers ; Testis ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult