Recent advances in reverse engineering, surface scanning, and additive manufacturing have significantly expanded the capabilities of modern orthopaedics, enabling the development of highly individualized orthotic devices. While cranial orthoses are traditionally associated with pediatric applications, their potential extends to adult patients requiring post-traumatic, postoperative, or neurological support. Essential Tremor (ET), one of the most common movement disorders, often progresses to involve cranial structures, creating a need for customized head-stabilizing solutions. In this work, a patient-specific head orthosis was designed and fabricated to provide stabilization while maintaining controlled transverse head rotation. The design workflow incorporated handheld 3D scanning, digital reconstruction using a scaled open-source cranial model, and modeling of orthotic components. Two interface variants—a rigid configuration and a flexible configuration incorporating TPU—were developed to evaluate structural and ergonomic performance. The orthosis components were manufactured using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) with TPU and PLA Pro materials, followed by post-processing and integration of EVA foam for improved comfort. A neoprene orthopedic corset and carbon-fiber support rods ensured stable attachment to the torso. The final prototype demonstrates the feasibility of producing lightweight, functional, and anatomically tailored orthoses for ET patients. Potential future enhancements include embedding pressure sensors for internal load monitoring and adaptive, sensor-driven control of device stiffness.

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Design and Manufacturing Workflow of a Patient-Specific Head Orthosis: A Case Study

  • A. Mrozek-Czajkowska,
  • Wiesław Kuczko,
  • M. Karolak,
  • J. Rybarczyk

摘要

Recent advances in reverse engineering, surface scanning, and additive manufacturing have significantly expanded the capabilities of modern orthopaedics, enabling the development of highly individualized orthotic devices. While cranial orthoses are traditionally associated with pediatric applications, their potential extends to adult patients requiring post-traumatic, postoperative, or neurological support. Essential Tremor (ET), one of the most common movement disorders, often progresses to involve cranial structures, creating a need for customized head-stabilizing solutions. In this work, a patient-specific head orthosis was designed and fabricated to provide stabilization while maintaining controlled transverse head rotation. The design workflow incorporated handheld 3D scanning, digital reconstruction using a scaled open-source cranial model, and modeling of orthotic components. Two interface variants—a rigid configuration and a flexible configuration incorporating TPU—were developed to evaluate structural and ergonomic performance. The orthosis components were manufactured using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) with TPU and PLA Pro materials, followed by post-processing and integration of EVA foam for improved comfort. A neoprene orthopedic corset and carbon-fiber support rods ensured stable attachment to the torso. The final prototype demonstrates the feasibility of producing lightweight, functional, and anatomically tailored orthoses for ET patients. Potential future enhancements include embedding pressure sensors for internal load monitoring and adaptive, sensor-driven control of device stiffness.