The application of additive manufacturing technology in designing and producing individualized lower limb orthoses

The aim of this paper was to compare two different processes of rapid design and fabrication of personalized ankle orthoses using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology.The intention was to assess the suitability of orthoses designed in a short time for practical use.The first tool used was the online platform Mecuris, while the second was an auto-generative model implemented into the Inventor software, developed within the AutoMedPrint project framework.Low-budget 3D scanners were employed to collect data for obtaining anthropometric measurements of patients, which were utilized for precise design of personalized orthoses.Several patients, volunteers, were selected for the conducted research.Orthoses for the patients were designed using both tools.The orthoses fabrication process was conducted using various printers and materials such as PET-G and PLA.As a result of the conducted work, three orthoses designed using the Mecuris platform and one utilizing the auto-generative model were obtained, and their fitting and functionality were positively verified.The analysis conducted on the advantages and disadvantages of both programs allowed for the conclusion that combining the capabilities of these tools would be an optimal solution.The automation of the design process significantly influenced the customization potential of orthoses to meet the needs of each patient.