This is a 3D printed humeral brace which is designed to increase effectiveness of the fracture treatment by providing customized solutions as an alternative to conventional solution.  The inner and outer part of the brace ensure better air circulation and weight reduction compared to plaster of Paris and local made humeral braces, without compromising the strength of the brace.  This product has been developed in collaboration with the Gambian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kebba S. Marenah. 

Disclaimer: This device has been approved by the Medical Control Agency in The Gambia.  Always consult relevant authorities of your country. Improper use can cause injury. Do not use without relevant expertise.

Humeral brace product use procedures:

1. Assessment by the qualified surgeon
2. Taking measurements of the patient and customizing the 3D design for the particular patient (if necessary)
3. Manufacturing the braces
4. Soaking in the hot water and thermoforming around the patient’s arm
5. Attaching by Velcro straps
6. Check-ups, assessment and readjusting during the treatment

Given the success of the humeral brace, successfully used to treat 3 fractures so far, other brace/splint concepts are in the works including finger splints.

ADVANTAGES :

• Full customization based on the patient's needs. The procedure from assessment of patient’s needs until having the full customized product ready takes less than 8 hours. The product can be customized based on the nature of the patient's fracture, size and shape of the arm as well as color preferences of the patient. Customization is done in collaboration with manufacturer, designer and surgeon. Standardized sizes and shapes can be readily available in the hospitals.
• Certified antimicrobial properties of the skin contact approved material Copper3D PLACTIVE that ensures prevention of infections and no odors caused by bacteria's. This material has been certified even for coronavirus.
• Water resistant material allows the patient to keep the brace during shower and does not limit the person in the rainy weather.
• Easy readjustment during the treatment is achieved due to repeated possibility of thermoforming of the brace as the patient’s arm becomes swollen or opposite, as well as multiple patient use which decrease the economic implications for the patient.
• Voronoi pattern holes in the inner and outer part of the brace ensure better air circulation and weight reduction compared to plaster of Paris without compromising the strength of the splint.

Print settings:

• Print flat on the heat bed
• 0.3mm layer height
• 100% infill
• Print without skirt - in print setings set to 0,
• Support pattern spacing 1.6,
• Support pattern angle 45,
• First four layers Copper3D PLACTIVE, rest regular PLA. It can be printed fully from PLACTIVE, however due to economic reasons we combine two materials

Note:

• Scale up and down according to you printer capabilities and patient needs

EDIT: 04/04/2022 - added editable .f3d version of the brace

EDIT: 08/04/2022 - added .3mf files