Department of Biomedical Engineering and Measurement, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovakia.
Prosthet Orthot Int. 2021 Feb;45(1):81-84. doi: 10.1177/0309364620949717.
Conventional methods for producing custom prosthetic fingers are time-consuming, can be uncomfortable for the patient, and require a skilled prosthetist. The subject was a 40-year-old male with congenital absence of the thumb and related metacarpal bone on the right non-dominant hand, anomaly of the lengths of individual upper limb segments, and contracture of the elbow joint. This hand presentation made it impossible for him to perform thumb opposition, which is a very important function for common daily activities.
The goal was to design an individual passive thumb prosthesis using free open-source software, 3D scanning technology, and additive manufacturing methods (i.e., fused filament fabrication).
Case report.
Artificial thumb prostheses with two types of bases and fastening interfaces were designed and manufactured. One combination was chosen as the best alternative.
The shape, positioning, firmness, and fastening of the prosthesis were compliant enough for the patient to be able to hold objects with his healthy fingers and artificial thumb. This innovative approach to fabrication of a custom thumb prosthesis provided considerable advantages in terms of custom sizing, manufacturing time, rapid production, iteration, comfort, and costs when compared to conventional methods of manufacturing a hand prosthesis.
The methodology of designing and manufacturing a prosthetic thumb using 3D scanning and additive manufacturing technologies have been demonstrated to be adequate from a practical point of view. These technologies show potential for use in the practice of prosthetics.
传统的定制假肢手指制作方法既耗时，又可能让患者感到不适，还需要专业的假肢技师。本案例的研究对象为一名 40 岁男性，他的右手非优势侧先天性缺失拇指和相关掌骨，上肢各节段长度存在畸形，且肘关节挛缩。这种手部畸形使他无法进行拇指对掌，而拇指对掌对日常活动非常重要。
使用免费开源软件、3D 扫描技术和增材制造方法（即熔融沉积成型）设计并制作个体化被动式拇指假肢。
病例报告
设计并制造了两种带有不同基底和固定接口的人工拇指假肢。选择了其中一种组合作为最佳选择。
假肢的形状、定位、牢固度和固定方式都符合患者的要求，患者可以用健康的手指和人工拇指握持物品。与传统的手部假肢制造方法相比，这种定制拇指假肢的制造方法在定制尺寸、制造时间、快速生产、迭代、舒适度和成本方面具有显著优势。
从实际角度来看，使用 3D 扫描和增材制造技术设计和制造假肢拇指的方法是可行的。这些技术在假肢实践中具有应用潜力。
