• Guisheng Xu, Liang Gao, Ke Tao, Shengxiang Wan, Yuning Lin, Ao Xiong, Bin Kang, and Hui Zeng.
• Department of Orthopaedics, Zhaoqing First People's Hospital, Guangdong, China Center of Experimental Orthopaedics, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany Department of Orthopaedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Peking Department of Orthopaedics, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Dec 1; 96 (52): e9426.

RationaleFor traumatic upper limb amputees, the prohibitive cost of a custom-made prosthesis brings an insufferable financial burden for their families in developing countries. Three-dimensional (3D) printing allows for creating affordable, lightweight, customized, and well-fitting prosthesis, especially for the growing children.Patient ConcernsWe presented a case of an 8-year-old boy, who suffered a traumatic right wrist amputation as result of a mincing machine accident. The patient was immediately sent to the emergency orthopedics department after the accident.DiagnosesHe was diagnosed as severed mangled limb crash injury at the level of the right wrist with a Mangled Extremity Severity Score of 8.InterventionsA wrist disarticulation was performed and a 3D-printed prosthetic hand was designed and manufactured for this child. A personalized prosthetic rehabilitation training was applied after the prosthesis installation at 6 months postoperatively. The function of the prosthesis was evaluated at 1-month and 3-month follow-up using the Children Amputee Prosthetics Projects (CAPP) score and the University Of New Brunswick Test Of Prosthetic Function for Unilateral Amputees (UNB test).OutcomesThe materials cost <20 dollars. The printing took <8 hours and the component assembling was completed within 20 minutes. During the 3-month follow-up, the child's parents were satisfied with the prosthesis and the UNB test showed the significantly improved function of the prosthesis.LessonsThis novel 3D-printed upper limb prosthesis in a child with the traumatic wrist amputation might serve as a practical and affordable alternative for children in developing countries and those lacking access to health care providers. A personalized prosthetic rehabilitation needs to be undertaken and more clinical studies are warranted to validate the potential superiority of similar 3D-printed prostheses.Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

11 keywords...

hide…