■ The dilemma of traditional orthopedics
In the past, orthotics played an indispensable role as important assistive devices for treating bone, joint, muscle, and neurological diseases. However, traditional orthotics have many problems that are difficult to ignore.
From the perspective of personalized adaptation, the production of traditional orthotics is often based on a more general size standard, which is difficult to accurately fit each patient's unique body curve and physiological characteristics. Taking scoliosis orthotics as an example, the traditional manufacturing process mainly relies on technicians wrapping the patient's torso with soaked plaster bandages to obtain a negative shape, then infusing plaster slurry to make a positive shape, followed by complex steps such as mold repair, and finally using resin and other materials to make the orthotic. This process not only has a harsh working environment, but also generates dust that threatens the health of technicians. In addition, the production process parameters are vague, relying on the personal experience of technicians, lacking precise quantitative standards, and cannot be checked and verified through digital means, resulting in poor adaptability of the produced orthotics and difficulty in meeting the personalized needs of patients. According to relevant research statistics, about 70% of patients report discomfort wearing traditional scoliosis orthotics, which affects daily activities and treatment compliance.
In terms of mechanical performance, traditional orthotics also have significant shortcomings. For example, traditional talus orthotics usually use a method of restricting the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the talus to achieve correction goals, which greatly limits the range of movement of patients. After long-term use, the flexibility of the ankle joint gradually decreases, seriously affecting daily activities. Moreover, the materials of these orthotics are often hard and lack sufficient flexibility and elasticity. During the correction process, they cannot adaptively adjust according to the dynamic stress generated by human movement, which not only easily causes excessive local pressure, pain and discomfort, but also may affect the correction effect due to uneven stress distribution, and even lead to complications such as muscle atrophy.
The lack of functional diversity is also a major weakness of traditional orthotics. Most traditional orthotics have a single function and can only provide basic support or correction functions, making it difficult to meet the diverse needs of patients in different rehabilitation stages and life scenarios. For example, during rehabilitation training, patients may need orthotics with varying degrees of assistance or resistance to assist in muscle strength recovery and improve joint mobility, but traditional orthotics are difficult to achieve this. In daily life, patients may hope that orthotics can ensure both corrective effect and a certain degree of comfort and aesthetics, without affecting normal social and work. However, traditional orthotics are often bulky and unattractive, and patients have a low willingness to wear them, which in turn affects the treatment effect.
■ New printed rehabilitation support device
• The 4D printing intelligent orthopedic device combines rigidity and flexibility perfectly, is not easy to break, provides good patient comfort, and enhances patient tolerance;
• Integrating front-end scanning, prosthesis design, and 4D printing, we have designed and developed a series of intelligent orthopedic devices;
• Achieved personalized design and customization, utilizing its shape memory performance to enable free adjustment of the structure after molding;
• Suitable for precise fixation before and after surgery, with excellent shaping effects on irregular parts such as the ankle and spine;
• Perfect combination of rigidity and flexibility, not easy to break, good patient comfort, and enhanced patient tolerance;
• Utilizing its shape memory performance for repeatable shaping, it has more advantages in shaping after surgical swelling reduction.
