Anaplastology

Editors-In-Chief: Martin I. Newman, M.D., FACS, Cleveland Clinic Florida, [mailto:Newmanm@ccf.org]; Michel C. Samson, M.D., FRCSC, FACS [mailto:samsonm1@ccf.org]

Overview
Anaplastology (Gk. ana-again, anew, upon plastos-something made, formed, molded logy-the study of) is a branch of medicine dealing with the prosthetic rehabilitation of an absent, disfigured, or malformed anatomically critical location of the face or body.

An anaplastologist (a maxillofacial prosthetist and technologist in the United Kingdom) is an individual who has the ability and provides the service of customizing a facial (craniofacial prosthesis) or somato prosthesis. In locations around the world where facial and somato prostheses are not readily available, an anaplastologist may be a dentist who specializes in maxillofacial prosthetics (prosthodontics), a dental technician or an ocularist who is cross-trained in the field of other facial prosthetics. In urban or more developed locations, an individual referred to as an anaplastologist is one who solely works with facial and somato prostheses. In such a setting, there are times the anaplastologist collaborates with prosthodontists and ocularists.

The studies of an anaplastologist consist of the arts and sciences. Visual arts are studied, namely photography, illustration, sculpture, painting. Biology, behavioral sciences, materials science, and physics are the studied sciences with emphases in superficial anatomy and physiology of humans, polymer science, optics, dermatology, otolaryngology, and oncology.