Application of additive technologies in the field of prosthetics
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The article traces the evolution of limb prosthetics from primitive ancient designs crafted from leather, wood, and metals – primarily serving aesthetic purposes – to advanced 21st-century systems shaped by global conflicts, industrial revolutions, and breakthroughs in electronics, biomechanics, and materials science. The 20th-century wars spurred mass production: World War I prompted the establishment of specialized rehabilitation centers, while World War II introduced early myoelectric systems. The digital revolution of the 1950s enabled device miniaturization, enhancing precision and safety. Amid demographic expansion – from 7.8 billion people today to a projected 9.7 billion by 2050 – demand for prosthetics rises, yet accessibility remains limited: only 5% of patients with traumatic amputations have access due to high costs and operational complexities. Contemporary prosthetics face fundamental constraints: excessive weight (up to several kilograms), battery life of 8–12 hours, lack of comprehensive sensory feedback – hindering precise manipulations – and prohibitive costs driven by labor-intensive subtractive manufacturing, which generates up to 90% material waste. In contrast, additive technologies – FDM, SLA, SLS – facilitate personalization, reduce waste to 10%, shorten production cycles to ~10 hours with minimal operator involvement, and cut costs by ~20%. Critical roles are played by biocompatible materials (PLA, ABS, PEEK), generative design with topology optimization to minimize mass while preserving strength, integration of pressure, temperature, and motion sensors, electroactive polymers (e.g., polypyrrole for artificial muscles), and machine learning for adaptive control. Clinical innovations, such as neurostimulation for phantom pain relief, demonstrate practical viability. Despite progress, adoption is hindered by challenges in biocompatibility, process and material standardization, and quality control. Additive technologies pave the way for lightweight, functional, adaptive, and affordable prosthetics, dramatically improving users' quality of life.
DOI: 10.17816/vto695506
Institution: MIREA - Russian Technological University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204239396