Essential Requirements and Relevant Technologies for Load-Bearing 3D-Printed Transtibial Prosthetic Sockets and Their Components: State-of-the-Art Review.
Erika Dagge, Breda Clancy, Gavin Keane and 2 others
PMID 41406382WHAT IT FOUND
3D-printed transtibial sockets show promise but lack long-term durability data.
Current evidence covers only 2-6 weeks of use, and testing methods vary widely. Powder bed fusion and Multi Jet Fusion offer strength comparable to traditional sockets, but regulatory gaps and inconsistent testing remain.
Key findings
01Validating the efficacy of 3D-printed load-bearing devices remains a challenge due to the customized nature of each prosthesis and significant heterogeneity in materials and alignment across studies.
02Existing clinical evidence for additive manufacturing in this context is limited, with durability evaluated for only 2-6 weeks in the studies that do provide data.
03Failure modes for both traditional and 3D-printed sockets commonly occur at the distal end or the pyramid attachment, while 3D-printed sockets also face specific risks of layer delamination.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review identifies a distinct lack of long-term data, with most studies evaluating durability for only 2-6 weeks. Testing methods are highly heterogeneous; custom test rigs vary between studies, making direct comparisons of strength and failure rates difficult. The field is rapidly evolving with significant gray literature and commercial data that may introduce bias. Regulatory frameworks treat custom-made sockets differently than standardized components, leading to gaps in quality control and validation. There is no established consensus on how individual socket and residual limb alignments affect testing results, despite this being a critical clinical factor.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and Atlantic Prosthetic Orthotic Services Ltd. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume 3D-printed sockets are clinically equivalent to traditional laminated sockets based on this review. The evidence for long-term durability and safety is currently insufficient, with most data covering only 2-6 weeks of use.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →