Richard Blalock was in pain and could not train for more than 3 miles on his prosthesis. Running was his life and part of his identity. He wanted more than anything to get back to running a marathon. His prosthetist reached out to me to ask if there was anything that could be done. We created a game plan not only on material selection but also how we were going to design a prosthesis to get Richard comfortable. Using a custom workflow in nTopology, we created the final prosthesis using features like variable thickness and lattice spacing as well as style. With this first article he was able to run pain free and blister free for the first time in years. He completed the marathon in the summer of 2022 and may do another in the future. This combination of software, materials, and design are truly a game changer and a springboard for the next generation of prostheses--and the future of healthcare.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the benefits that additive manufacturing brings to patient specific care in the healthcare space
- Describe how additive manufacturing uniquely solves healthcare problems to move healthcare forward
- Provide a concrete example of how additive manufacturing is bringing exciting new solutions to the healthcare space
