Research & Innovation
Publications
Customizing a Cryolite Glass Prosthetic Eye
PMU Author
Alexander C Rokohl
All Authors
Alexander C Rokohl, Marc Trester, Joel M Mor, Niklas Loreck, Konrad R Koch, Ludwig M Heindl
Journal association
JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
Abstract
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, over 90% of ocularists still manufacture customized prostheses using cryolite glass from Thuringia. The present manuscript demonstrates this long-forgotten technique in detail. This manuscript shows some major advantages of manufacturing prosthetic eyes using cryolite glass in comparison to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). These advantages include a lighter weight of the prosthesis, higher levels of patient satisfaction, and only one appointment necessary for the customized manufacturing. Potential risk of breakage seems not to be a critical disadvantage for glass prosthetic eye wearers. However, in some patients, manufacturing a well-fitting prosthetic eye is not possible or reasonable due to anophthalmic socket complications such as post nucleation socket syndrome, scarred fornices, or an orbital implant exposure. This article gives ophthalmologists a better insight into ocularistic care in order to improve the essential interprofessional collaboration between ocularists and ophthalmologists.
Keywords
Humans, Prosthesis Design, Eye Enucleation, Eye, Artificial, Glass/chemistry, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Prosthesis Implantation, Sodium Fluoride/pharmacology