How 3D printing is helping disabled animals walk

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Disabled animals now have the chance to move freely again thanks to 3D printed prostheses developed by Poland's Zortrax in collaboration with a fifth-year veterinary student.

Maciej Szczepański, a student at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, has been using 3D printing processes developed by the company to tailor prosthetic limbs to the individual needs of the animal.

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The student has helped Sonia and Leto, two dogs who lost their limbs in traffic accidents, regain some freedom of movement, with plans to aid other types of animals in the future.

3D printing has seen application in a number of sectors, from providing PPE to frontline workers during the pandemic to regrowing coral reefs. Some intrepid manufacturers have 3D printed houses and lunar pads. There are even murmurs it may soon find its way into the automotive sector, primarily to make car parts.

Maciej has had a chance to explore the field of animal orthopaedics during his course. Aside from aiding in surgeries, he has researched other methods of aiding animals with physical disabilities.

He claims the use of prosthetic limbs on animals is not as advanced in Poland as it is in countries such as the US.

“I wanted to create prostheses that would improve the quality of life of an animal that will be using it", he said. 

Maciej initially outsourced the project to help Sonia and Leto, but eventually decided to 3D print the prosthesis himself in order to increase autonomy - focusing on the project full-time.

Using Zortrax's Inventure printer, a project is started by scanning the stump of the animal, which is then transferred to a modelling programme. It is then filled with ceramic plaster to create a mould before being 3D printed

“All I have to do later is 3D print the prototype on my printer, which makes my work significantly easier, as I can print on the spot and check if my assumptions are correct. I don’t have to outsource this work anymore.

“The printer is easy-to-use and has an accessible and intuitive interface. It was my first contact with a 3D printer and I handled it without any problems".

Much of the cast is printed using the printer's default settings, and almost the entire limb is printed on the same printer. Maciej claims to use a "hybrid support" option to save on materials.

Support structures for the limb are dissolved in post-processing, while the prosthesis itself is assembled by hand, with screws. The inside of each limb is layered with cloth in order to reduce chafing and increase the dog's comfort.

“Thanks to 3D printing, I was able to create the tailored prostheses that suited the pet’s special needs. In the future, I would like to use the 3D printer to create other prostheses or repair the ones I have already produced", he concluded. 

Zortrax claims Leto - one of the dogs - grew used to his new prosthetic quickly and began walking around normally within 15 minutes.

The entire printing process, from design to fitting, can be done in a little under three days.

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While this serves as a success story and shows the versatility of 3D printing as a medium, Maciej wishes to continue to use additive manufacturing for this purpose once he has finished his studies.

He plans to launch a startup that will provide long-lasting support to animals with orthopaedic problems.

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