The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Amputee Clinic at Spain Rehabilitation Center is the first clinic in Alabama to offer 3D-printed prosthetic sockets.
“We have patients who have used the same socket for years and years want the exact same thing when replacing it,” said Brian Mueller, CP, clinic director. “We can pull up the file and reproduce it exactly.”
“If you look in the literature, it’s hard to find people doing this kind of work,” said Conley Carr, MD, director of the clinic and assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “Only a small number of prosthetics clinics have integrated 3D printing into routine patient care, making UAB part of a limited group offering the technology.”
Carr said that the 3D printer allows patients to receive prostheses faster and at a lower cost.
The O&P lab has utilized a 3D scanner and carving machine for many years.
“This took us halfway to our goal of a fully digital operation,” Carr said. “With the new 3D printer, the clinic can turn digital files from the 3D scanner directly into a finished socket.”
The 3D printer will also be used to create customized orthotic braces.
“These can come from all over the hospital,” Carr said. “Someone who has had a stroke and has foot drop may need bracing for that foot, while patients from neurosurgery might require a spinal brace.”
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by UAB.
