Individuals with neuromuscular disorder face serious limitations in performing basic functions, such as eating and picking up small objects. Exercise and the use of orthoses are the common remedies for such conditions. Recent technological developments have dramatically improved the effectiveness of the orthosis treatment. The objective of this study was to determine if the 3D-printed custom orthoses based on the Ultem thermoplastic material were as effective as the traditional orthoses and if they can be produced for a lower cost. Ultem thermoplastic is a polymer material and the 3D-printing runs on FDM technology which allows the building of parts layer-by-layer from the bottom up by heating and extruding thermoplastic filament. Six subjects (ages 40-72) participated in the study. The subjects’ dominant hand was scanned using the 3D laser scanner and the images were processed using Autodesk MeshMixer software and 3D-printed using a FORTUS 3D printer. The subjects performed 11 timed assessments for manual and finger dexterity using both types of orthoses. An average of three trials was taken for data analysis and was followed by an immediate comparative questionnaire that was administered to the subjects.<br/>Results show that the order in which the dexterity assessments were performed (3D-printed first or traditional first) had an impact on the time taken to perform the tests (p &lt; 0.05). The subjects performed the tests faster with the orthosis they tested later perhaps because they became more familiar as the assessments progressed. However, the time taken to perform the tasks was comparable for both orthosis types (p &gt; 0.05). Subjects reported a greater comfort with the 3D-printed orthoses emphasizing the greater wrist support. Therefore, 3D printed orthoses were at least as effective as traditional orthoses. The material cost to print each 3D orthosis, on average, was $39.52 compared to the $26.99 for the commercially available brace.

Ultem thermoplastic-based 3D-printed orthoses: A comparative study on the efficacy of using polymer-based 3D-printed orthoses

254th National Meeting (2017)

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