Study on Properties of Automatically Designed 3D-Printed Customized Prosthetic Sockets.

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Custom prosthetic sockets are crucial for patient mobility and comfort.
• Additive manufacturing (AM), specifically fused deposition modeling (FDM), offers potential for cost-effective, customized prosthetics.
• Optimizing materials and process parameters is key for successful FDM prosthetic socket production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of additively manufactured prosthetic sockets made from rigid PLA and elastic TPE.
• To identify optimal fused deposition modeling (FDM) process parameters for stable and cost-effective prosthetic socket manufacturing.
• To assess the fit, strength, comfort, and surface roughness of 3D-printed prosthetic sockets for pediatric upper limb patients.

Main Methods:

• Custom prosthetic sockets were designed based on 3D scans of a pediatric patient's limb.
• Sockets were additively manufactured using FDM with two thermoplastic materials: polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
• Experiments involved varying FDM process parameters and evaluating socket outcomes including dimensional accuracy, mechanical strength, patient-reported fit and comfort, and surface roughness.

Main Results:

• Most 3D-printed prosthetic sockets met predefined strength criteria.
• Patient assessment indicated that not all sockets achieved optimal fitting and comfort levels.
• Surface roughness varied depending on the material and printing parameters used.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations for material selection (PLA vs. TPE) and FDM process parameters were established for improved prosthetic socket production.
• The findings informed the development of a prototype automated design and production system for customized prosthetics.
• Further refinement is needed to consistently meet patient-specific fitting and comfort requirements in AM prosthetic sockets.