Single-center feasibility study at a pediatric trauma hub testing whether a custom 3D-printed ABS orthosis manufactured entirely in-hospital could replace plaster casting for children with nondisplaced distal radius fractures. Eighteen patients ages 11–14 were enrolled; the study evaluated logistic feasibility, fracture healing, and patient-reported outcomes.
Plaster casting for pediatric distal radius fractures carries well-documented drawbacks: weight loading on proximal joints, inability to inspect skin, moisture-related complications, and the need for an oscillating saw at removal. These are not trivial concerns in a high-volume pediatric trauma center seeing approximately 16,000 admissions per year.
This feasibility study shows that a fully in-hospital CAD/CAM pipeline can produce a custom orthosis within the standard 48–72 hour pre-immobilization window, with equivalent healing and better patient-reported convenience for nondisplaced torus, greenstick, and unicortical distal radius fractures in children ages 11–14.
For trainees: if your institution has 3D printing infrastructure, this paper provides a clinical protocol and outcome benchmark to justify a pilot program. The inclusion criteria are narrow — nondisplaced metaphyseal fractures only, no open or pathological injuries, no allergies or neurologic disease.
The study has no control group and a sample size of 18, so it establishes feasibility rather than superiority. The authors explicitly plan a second phase for more complex fractures and postoperative applications.
Single-center feasibility study at a pediatric trauma hub testing whether a custom 3D-printed ABS orthosis manufactured entirely in-hospital could replace plaster casting for children with nondisplaced distal radius fractures. Eighteen patients ages 11–14 were enrolled; the study evaluated logistic feasibility, fracture healing, and patient-reported outcomes.
Plaster casting for pediatric distal radius fractures carries well-documented drawbacks: weight loading on proximal joints, inability to inspect skin, moisture-related complications, and the need for an oscillating saw at removal. These are not trivial concerns in a high-volume pediatric trauma center seeing approximately 16,000 admissions per year.
This feasibility study shows that a fully in-hospital CAD/CAM pipeline can produce a custom orthosis within the standard 48–72 hour pre-immobilization window, with equivalent healing and better patient-reported convenience for nondisplaced torus, greenstick, and unicortical distal radius fractures in children ages 11–14.
For trainees: if your institution has 3D printing infrastructure, this paper provides a clinical protocol and outcome benchmark to justify a pilot program. The inclusion criteria are narrow — nondisplaced metaphyseal fractures only, no open or pathological injuries, no allergies or neurologic disease.
The study has no control group and a sample size of 18, so it establishes feasibility rather than superiority. The authors explicitly plan a second phase for more complex fractures and postoperative applications.