Assessing 3D printable density-graded lattice structures to minimize risk of tissue damage from compression-release stabilized sockets.
Jade Myers, Daniel Phillips, Denis Cormier
PMID 39565067WHAT IT FOUND
Lab tests of 3D-printed lattice structures for prosthetic sockets showed the firm sections met compression targets, but no soft sections were compliant enough for tissue release.
Designers must keep open gaps for soft tissue to bulge into, rather than relying on graded lattices alone.
Key findings
01The firmest lattice samples exceeded the minimum force threshold required for compression areas in a socket.
02None of the tested lattice samples were soft enough to meet the criteria for release areas.
03The study assumes that graded stiffness preserves the stability benefits of compression-release stabilized sockets, but this was not tested on patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
This was a bench-top mechanical test, not a clinical trial with human participants. The study only tested normal (perpendicular) forces, not the shear forces that occur when a limb moves inside a socket. The samples were printed with a low-cost fused filament method, which may not reflect the durability or properties of higher-end 3D printing processes. The thresholds for 'compression' and 'release' were based on a challenging use case and expert opinion, not on universal clinical data linking specific pressures to tissue damage.
Declared interests
The work was supported by the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF). The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that density-graded lattices alone can replace open 'release' windows in compression-release stabilized sockets. The study found that even the softest printed lattices were too stiff to allow the soft tissue bulge necessary for these sockets to function safely, meaning open gaps are still required.