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My piece is a representation of prosthetic rejection, specifically in an upper extremity amputation. Prosthetic rejection can be caused by psychological conditions, allergies, or it can also be caused by tissue and cellular immune responses where the immune system treats the prosthetic as a foreign body. This can lead to issues such as inflammation, swelling, interference with healing, fibrous encapsulation (“the formation of scar tissue on the surface of the biomaterial produced by myofibroblasts and fibrocytes and occurs as a response to frustrated phagocytosis.”), and prosthetic rejection. A positive immune response can lead to successful biointegration of implants or prosthetics. Immunomodulatory properties that can affect the success of an implant include chemical composition, surface topography, surface wettability, surface charge and the release of bioactive molecules.
