Is 3D Printing Suitable for Use in Clinic?

Barber Prosthetics Clinic & BCIT MAKE+ & Aimee Lizcano

Fun Fact: When completing structural testing of sockets, sockets made for cushion liners are stronger than sockets made with a distal 4-hole lock.   

3D printing is gaining exposure in the world of prosthetics. Many of our patients asked us why we don’t use 3D printing in our clinic and if this technology could be right for them. Currently, the largest limitation to using 3D printed sockets for lower extremity prosthetic applications is that there is no information available regarding their strength and safety when used by our patients outside of our clinics. There is also little information available regarding the strength of current fabrication techniques.  The goal of this project was to apply the ISO standard for the Structural testing of Lower Limb Prostheses standard to evaluate the static socket strengths of transtibial sockets made using conventional and 3D printing technologies.

Phase one of this project has been completed! We found preliminary evidence that statically, sockets made for cushion liners are strong enough to be used in clinical practice as they pass the ISO standard. You can find more information here (View of AN INVESTIGATION OF THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH OF TRANSTIBIAL SOCKETS FABRICATED USING CONVENTIONAL METHODS AND RAPID PROTOTYPING TECHNIQUES (utoronto.ca)). While there is still lots of work to be done at looking how these sockets stand up to cyclical forces, such as during walking, this is an important first step.