Casting a New Light: A Systematic Review of 3D-Printed Casting for Non-Surgical Management of Orthopedic Injuries

Traditional casting methods for fracture immobilization, such as plaster and fiberglass, have been used for decades but come with limitations, including discomfort, poor ventilation, and difficulty in application. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology offers a promising alternative by enabling patient-specific, customizable casts that improve comfort, ventilation, and fit. This review systematically evaluates literature on the clinical efficacy, patient satisfaction, and biomechanical properties of 3DP casts in the non-surgical management of orthopedic injuries. A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library was conducted. The retrieved studies were screened based on title and abstract, then selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria to focus on musculoskeletal injuries treated with 3DP casts. Data were extracted on patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and biomechanical properties. The quality of the studies was assessed, and results were categorized into positive, neutral, and negative findings. Of the 50 studies retrieved, 20 met the inclusion criteria, including biomechanical studies, observational clinical studies, and randomized controlled trials. The majority of studies reported high patient satisfaction, improved comfort, reduced skin irritation, and favorable clinical outcomes with 3DP casts. Biomechanical studies demonstrated that 3DP casts can optimize stress distribution and patient fit, while clinical trials showed that 3DP casts were non-inferior to traditional casting methods in terms of fracture healing. This technology shows great potential in the nonsurgical management of fractures, with improvements in patient comfort and clinical outcomes. This review provides evidence supporting the use of 3DP casts in the conservative treatment of fractures and musculoskeletal injuries. Further research is needed to explore the long-term outcomes, material strengthening, and expanded applications of this technology in orthopedic care.