I wonder how much overall cost it would add to use the prints as the mold in lost-mold casting of aluminum or something. Would make them significantly longer lasting.
the "old" way of doing this is to cast the patient's residual limb, make a socket for it, fit the socket with an adapter and use commodity parts for the rest of the leg.
the challenges for amputees are fit of the socket from weight gain, swelling etc. which can lead to pressure sores, prosthetic knees sucking in general (or the robot ones being expensive and fiddly), etc.
this whole printing project seems like it wouldn't even work for above-knee amputees. there's no way to make a 3D printed parts alone bend like a knee. and I suspect the quality and durability of these is quite inferior to traditional prosthetics.
3D scanning and printing sockets rather than using casting is a good idea, but that's not really a problem here. the problem is that disabled people are poor, and assistive devices are expensive. they're not expensive because they're difficult or time-consuming to manufacture, they're expensive because it's a small captive market with insurance reimbursements.
I designed and 3D-printed my own forearm crutch cuffs, because my old ones were too big for me. 3D printing can be really empowering for disabled people. but there's always these breathless articles about new inventions that will transform disabled people's lives, and it's just.. lackluster stuff.
(I'm not an amputee but I am disabled, and friends with a few.)
