The effect of 3D printing on the orthotics and prosthetics industry

Blake Teipel, CEO and co-founder of Essentium, describes how 3D printing is transforming the Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) industry.

What are the biggest challenges facing O&P practitioners today?

One of the biggest challenges for practitioners is meeting the needs of patients in a timely and efficient manner. The World Health Organization estimates there are about 30 million people worldwide who need prosthetic limbs or other mobility devices, yet fewer than 20 percent of these people have access to them.

How can 3D printing change the game for O&P practitioners?

3D printing enables practitioners to rapidly develop O&P devices that are cost-effective and fully customized to the wearer. 3D printing allows for the bespoke process of O&P design to be expedited as practitioners can still make each device unique, but they don’t have to go through as many steps and spend as much time as they do now.

With 3D printing, a prosthetic that once took many hours to make can now be completed in a fraction of that time. In fact, practitioners can see an increase in efficiency as high as 400 percent with 3D printing, and that means they can dramatically increase the number of patients they treat in a given year.

In addition, material advancements are enabling O&P practitioners to create O&P devices that are more customized, lightweight, affordable and comfortable for the patient. For example, Ultramid polyamide reinforced with short carbon fiber, enables lightweight, yet tough and more flexible prosthetic sockets. The definitive socket can be made with thermoplastic material that enables small adjustments in increments of 2-3mm without weakening as needed throughout the life cycle of the prosthetic - a crucial development as a patient’s body changes over time.

How do O&P practitioners need to prepare for the transition to 3D printing?

As O&P practitioners begin to embrace 3D printing, they will need a proven approach for 3D printing implementation, training and support. They will also need to develop skills that allow them to stay relevant but also to utilize the medium successfully. This includes material knowledge and design for 3D printing.

3D printing takes advantage of a wide range of materials with different properties. To unlock the potential of their creativity, practitioners will need to stay up to date with new materials and their properties to decide which material can provide the solutions they are looking for.

What are the benefits of 3D printing for O&P patients?

With an increasing number of global amputees each year, the need to make prosthetics more accessible and capable is also increasing. Advancements in 3D printing technology is making this possible, even in parts of the world where there are no trained prosthetists.

In addition, patients today want access to ever more functional prosthetics, ranging from dynamic legs with shock absorption and carbon-fiber blades (or feet) to bionic arms with nimble fingers. With today’s innovative 3D printing platforms, all of that is possible. In fact, there are almost no limits to where prosthetics can go with 3D printing.

How is 3D printing technology helping to redefine physical disability?

With the advent of 3D printing, the possibilities offered by advanced 3D printing technology for O&P could force a change in public attitudes and eventually blur the line between disability and ability through greater functionality. At the very least, 3D printing will enable the creation of O&P devices that would simply be impossible to make by hand or by traditional manufacturing processes.