Three-dimensional-printed upper limb prosthesis for a child with traumatic amputation of right wrist: A case report.

Abstract

RATIONALE:

For 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 CONCERNS:

We 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.

DIAGNOSES:

He was diagnosed as severed mangled limb crash injury at the level of the right wrist with a Mangled Extremity Severity Score of 8.

INTERVENTIONS:

A 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).

OUTCOMES:

The 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.

LESSONS:

This 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.

• Authors: Guisheng Xu, Liang Gao, Ke Tao, Shengxiang Wan, Yuning Lin, Ao Xiong, Bin Kang, Hui Zeng
• Journal: Medicine (Medicine (Baltimore)) Vol. 96 Issue 52 Pg. e9426 (Dec 2017) ISSN: 1536-5964 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29384921 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Amputation, Traumatic (therapy)
• Artificial Limbs
• Child
• Hand
• Humans
• Male
• Printing, Three-Dimensional
• Prosthesis Design