Materialise : Why Choose 3D-Printed Orthotics? It’s All About Personalization

Make it personal

Every patient is unique. They're built their own way, they move their own way, and they need orthotics that reflect that. This might be an issue for traditional manufacturing techniques, but not 3D printing. Because the design and printing process is entirely digital, foot and ankle experts can create a unique design, then print several pairs of orthotics simultaneously, all different from each other, making it a valid alternative for mass production.

For patients, this added level of customization lends itself to a perfect fit and happier feet with every step. That's because every 3D printed phits orthotic begins with a CAD file, with a design based on patient data - dynamic measurements, to be precise. Instead of designing corrections based on a single scan of a patient's foot, this technique relies on multiple, as well as gait and pressure measurements to create an average.

In doing so, foot and ankle experts can generate corrective insoles that are unique to each patient, based on their movement and the shape of their foot with greater accuracy than ever before - no more 'one-size-fits-all' that really fits no one - while ensuring that they remain comfortable, lightweight, and durable.