Application of rapid prototyping to support treatment of lobule keloids

Rapid prototyping (RP) is an evolving technology that allows for the fast fabrication of parts or prototypes. Keloids are raised scars formed when tissues near a wound do not heal properly. They can grow anywhere on the body but several areas are more prone to keloids. Earlobes are particularly susceptible due to piercing. They are difficult to treat and high recurrences only compound the difficulty. Recurrence rates are estimated to range from 45% - 100% after corrective surgery. It has been suggested that pressure applied to the wound can decrease the probability of recurrence. This paper represents a study where RP techniques were utilized to produce customized pressure earrings for earlobe after surgery. The results revealed that the proposed procedure is more capable of achieving patient´s comfort and physician´s requirements as compared to commercially available designs.