3D Printed Casts: A Promising Technology for Improving Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Outcomes

Abstract

Fracture management encompasses immobilization of the fractured site by different means, each has advantages and disadvantages. Besides, the time of fracture to heal is influenced by several factors, including age, health status, nutritional factors, drug intake, smoking, and activity level. Generally, the longer the immobilization period, the more complication the patient encountered, which in turn influence physiotherapy management outcomes. The 3D printing is a novel procedure, increasingly emerging and has been introduced into medical practice owing to its unique characteristics over conventional procedures; it contributed to the enhancement of patient treatment’s satisfaction levels and functional outcomes, due to the lightweight, well-ventilated, waterproof, and cosmetically pleasant characters. Literature indicated that utilization of 3D Printed cast for fracture immobilization has resulted in improving physiotherapy outcomes; “Patient satisfaction Questionnaire” and the “Wearability evaluation of 3D printed and POP” indicated improving the rate of patient satisfaction with the mentioned procedure. Additionally, the results of the “patient-rated wrist evaluation” questionnaire indicated that utilization of the 3D cast resulted in significant decrease of wrist pain and improvement of activities of daily living. Multiple varieties of software, hardware and materials are available for producing the 3D printed cast, where engineers selected the most appropriate depending on the intended cast in term of durability, load to withstand and patient experience. Thus, utilization of 3D printed casts as an alternative to conventional fracture immobilization modalities has resulted in significant improvement of physiotherapy outcomes. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare facilities to adopt the 3D printed products in an attempt to enhance medical and physiotherapy outcomes.