3D printed splint designed by 3D surface scanner for patients with hand allodynia

Allodynia is a neuropathic pain triggered by a normally painless stimulus: for example, a slight touch on the skin or slight sensation of hot or cold is extremely painful. Rehabilitation is long and uncertain. Protecting the painful area from stimuli is a priority of care. This type of care is complex and challenging for the care team: the pain caused in manufacturing a classic molded orthosis is unbearable for the patient, and the orthosis has a limited lifetime, and experience shows that it is not possible to produce two identical splints. The present study consisted in creating protective splints by 3D printing, designed from data collected with the 3D surface scanner used in our forensic imaging and anthropology unit. The pros and cons of the 3D orthosis versus standard molded orthoses from the point of view of the patient and the practitioner are discussed, with evaluation of related indications of this technology.