By reducing weight, lead times, and costs, 3-D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) offers significant opportunities for better customization in orthotic and prosthetic development. Today’s state-of-the-art scanning technologies allow for the design of components with complex geometries that can improve the functionality of orthoses and prostheses.

While 3D printing has dramatically accelerated the customization process for manufacturing orthotics and prosthetics, it’s often today’s post-processing technologies that make those applications possible. The ability to create washable and sealed surfaces that maintain material properties or the chance to add any color you want – from Pantone to customized skin colors and all of that matching the standards for biocompatibility is a real game changer. 

A recent survey found that experienced orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) device users with a chronic disability liked the range of care they received from certified O&P providers, were “very satisfied” with the device-related goals they had achieved, and reported they could not maintain their current level of function without certified P&O providers.

Prosthetic device users have a wide range of needs and prosthetists need to be aware of varying product offerings to meet those needs. Pseudo-prostheses allow able-bodied users to understand ambulation in a specific device, providing critical education about new products as well as ongoing training for evolving products.

A fundamental understanding of the way soft interface materials compare to one another provides insight to the clinician and fabricator. Example: Compare different types of polyurethane and their accompanying reported data. Some data has been collected into the comparison chart on the right…