27 Jun 2014
Research on 3-D printed wrist splints boost for arthritis sufferers
A Loughborough University lecturer has developed a computer software concept that will enable clinicians with no experience in Computer Aided Design (CAD) to design and make custom-made 3D printed wrist splints for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Dr Abby Paterson, from the Design School, said: “I wanted to give clinicians the ability to make splints they have not been able to make before.
“They can improve the aesthetics, the fit, and integrate extra bits of functionality they couldn’t do before.”
The 3D printed splints are not only more comfortable and attractive but potentially cheaper than the current ones. The splints, which provide joint protection, rest, and promote pain relief,could be a major boost for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common type of arthritis in the UK which affects more than 400,000 people.
Read the press release for more.