The impact of extra-oral facial prosthesis on quality of life for people with aquired defects: A systematic review

Purpose: Acquired facial defects caused by traumatic injury or malignancy are likely to affect one’s physical wellbeing. They may lead to segregation from society due to the stigma and the subjective opinions of the individual, decreasing their overall quality-of-life (QoL). Facial prostheses are suitable forms of rehabilitation for people with acquired facial defects. Recently, QoL has been receiving attention important in evaluating patient outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise research reporting the impact of extra-oral facial prostheses on QoL for individuals with an acquired facial defect.
Materials and methods: A systematic review was undertaken following Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered (CRD42024403538), and the searches were performed in six databases from inception to 5th August 2024.
Results: 1291 records were retrieved after review ten articles were retained for inclusion. The papers were grouped into those assess people with acquired facial defects in either the auricular, nasal, or orbital regions. A total of 363 people were represented. Six QoL measures were used. Across all three groups, QoL improved post-prosthesis. Although nasal prosthesis users reported lower physical and social functioning than those with auricular prostheses.
Conclusions: All ten studies reported positive impact on QoL of prosthesis, however their generalizability is limited by varying methodologies and QoL measures, none of which are designed for use with prosthesis users. Despite these limitations, QoL improvements were seen regardless of follow-up duration or prior prosthetic experience. Future research should use standardized, prosthesisspecific QoL measures for clearer comparisons. (Int J Maxillofac Prosthetics 2025;8:30-41)