| Abstract | | Partial finger amputation affects patients from the functional as well as from the aesthetic point of view. In accordance with the number of amputated fingers, abilities and capabilities of the hand are reduced and the patient's self-image is altered. The amputated part of the finger can be replaced by an aesthetic silicone prosthesis, which is individually coloured and fitted. In anaplastology, as the field of aesthetic prosthetics is nowadays called, several different approaches to prostheses manufacturing are used in practice. The prosthesis can be made using tools/moulds or by putting and modelling silicone directly on the stump model. At the University Rehabilitation Institute in Ljubljana, both of these procedures are used; in addition, the procedure of direct modelling has been increasingly used lately. The latter procedure requires a lot of experience, mastering of different technologies and considerable artistic ability. Aesthetic finger prosthesis made of silicone restores the look of the amputated hand part to the patient, partly improves hand function and provides psychological support.
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