Ankle-Foot Orthosis Made by 3D Printing Technique and Automated Design Software

Abstract

We described 3D printing technique and automated design software and clinical results after the application of this AFO to a patient with a foot drop. After acquiring a 3D modelling file of a patient's lower leg with peroneal neuropathy by a 3D scanner, we loaded this file on the automated orthosis software and created the “STL” file. The designed AFO was printed using a fused filament fabrication type 3D printer, and a mechanical stress test was performed. The patient alternated between the 3D-printed and conventional AFOs for 2 months. There was no crack or damage, and the shape and stiffness of the AFO did not change after the durability test. The gait speed increased after wearing the conventional AFO (56.5 cm/sec) and 3D-printed AFO (56.5 cm/sec) compared to that without an AFO (42.2 cm/sec). The patient was more satisfied with the 3D-printed AFO than the conventional AFO in terms of the weight and ease of use. The 3D-printed AFO exhibited similar functionality as the conventional AFO and considerably satisfied the patient in terms of the weight and ease of use. We suggest the possibility of the individualized AFO with 3D printing techniques and automated design software.

Application of 3D‐printed Customized Guides in Subtalar Joint Arthrodesis

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Efficacy of Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Versus Computer-Aided Design and Finite Element Modeling Technologies in Brace Management of Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Narrative Review

“…Additionally, modern brace-manufacturing techniques help orthotists better educate and provide medical advice to patients in addition to achieving a higher hygiene level and less material consumption because of omitting the casting phase [28][29][30]37]. In the previous decade, the application of 3D printing, as a form of the CAD-CAM method, has expanded rapidly in clinical practice, such as in orthosis manufacturing [38][39][40][41]. The 3D printers leverage the use of new materials and complex designs of personalized orthoses that might be unfeasible or too costly to manufacture by using the computer numerical carving method [38,[42][43][44].…”

Optimization of the Application Software in Biomechanics and Their Contribution to The Biological Field

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