Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Prosthetics in developing countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that thirty million people in developing countries need either a prosthetic limb or some other form of orthopedic assistance. How many can afford them? How many can really help them with expertise, material and prosthetic centers?

In Uganda CoRSU hospital, which opened its doors in 2009 with the help of donations from countries around the world, with the help of Canadian NGO Nia Technologies and the University of Toronto have been testing prosthetic sockets produced by a 3D printer. These prostheses have worked well. However,  sockets produced using cheaper 3D printers haven't. They were unstable and tended to break quickly,. Plus, patients are unable to wear such sockets for long periods of time.

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