







































VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 

 2023 
 

 

D E S I G N I N G  T H E  F U T U R E :  3 D  P R I N T I N G ' S  

R E V O L U T I O N  I N  P R O S T H E T I C S  &  O R T H O T I C S  

S T A K E H O L D E R  P E R S P E C T I V E S   

PRINTING 

3D 

PUBLISHER: CANADIAN ONLINE PUBLICATION GROUP   

S P E C I A L  I S S U E  

CPOJ 

ISSN: 2561-987X 



 

1 

Raschke S.U. 3D printing in prosthetics, orthotics and assistive technology: myth and reality. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2023; Volume 6, Issue 2, 
No.1. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222 

 

 

EDITORIAL 

 

3D PRINTING IN PROSTHETICS, ORTHOTICS AND ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: MYTH 

AND REALITY 

Raschke S.U*  

British Columbia Institute of Technology, Applied Research MAKE+ (retired), 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, Canada. 
 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION 

The BCIT MAKE+ Department, of which I was a part, has 

over two decades of experience in 3D printing in 

rehabilitation and health application, starting in 2001, with a 

Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grant to establish 

the Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering that Enables 

(CREATE) of which I was the Principle Investigator and in 

collaboration with Dr. Gary Birch and the Neil Squire 

Society, a not-for-profit that helped developed unique 

assistive technology for persons with high level spinal cord 

injury and continues to do so today through the Makers 

Making Change program.1 The focal point of the CREATE 

grant was a Stratysis 3D printer to be used for prototyping 

assistive technology and biomedical devices.2    

Despite early fears expressed on the part of prosthetic and 

orthotic clinicians, our team was optimistic that this 

technology was a fit for the sector. Our work with Fused 

Deposition Modelling (FDM) printing in the biomedical and 

rehabilitation setting, with that initial 3D printer, had already 

given us some idea of the benefits and the limitations of the 

technology. Our optimism was reciprocated by both 

commercial clients seeking our applied research 

experience, as well as by funding agencies. Over the past 

22 years we carried out a range of projects that 1) tested 

prosthetic sockets, including 3D printed models 2) 

examined prosthetic and orthotic digital production chains, 

either with commercial clients and as a graduate student 

project and 3) continued to use our 3D printers to prototype 

designs across a range of rehabilitation and biomedical 

applications. In 2011 our team had expanded with the 

awarding of a Canada Research Chair, to Dr. Jaimie 

Borisoff. a former post-Doc of Dr Gary Birch, whose lab 

provided 2 further FDM printers, plus a wider range of 

production tools (laser cutter, water jet cutter, etc.), Funding 

was also included for post-Doc positions and student 

projects. This was housed under the Rehabilitation 

Engineering (RED) Lab, into which CREATE was 

integrated.    

It is this background from which I write this editorial today, 

which unlike my typical editorials, is a more personal one.  

It is based on an introduction I gave to a workshop on 3D 

Printing Assistive Technology, Orthotics and Prosthetics3 

recently hosted at BCIT as part of our latest initiative: the 

BCIT Centre for Applied Research and Innovation’s 

Advanced Additive Manufacturing Hub (AAMTECH).4  

Funded by the Teck Copper + Health Initiative and 

PacifiCan, the Hub builds on our two decades of experience 

to further support practical research on the uses of Additive 

Manufacturing (AM) for Health Applications. 

At the workshop, I spoke about my early research career as 

an orthotist in the late 1980s participating on projects at 

UBC’s Medical Engineering Resource Unit (MERU) led by 

Carl Saunders before his spinning the technology of the 

university setting as Vorum Research.  In one conversation 

with Carl, I remember saying that what the field of 

prosthetics and orthotics needs is objective CAD/CAM 

systems which could create data informed designs. He said 

 
OPEN  ACCESS 

ABSTRACT 

3D printing initially captured the public eye when mainstream media began writing 

about Enabling the Future, a volunteer network that had begun designing and 3D 

printing prosthetic hands.  Many of the stories focused on how this technology was 

going to disrupt the prosthetic sector. The response from prosthetists was skepticism 

and concern, in particular warning that 3D printed components would not be robust 

enough to withstand the activities of daily living.  Moreover, they emphasized that fit 

problems could potentially cause more harm than good. Several years on, this issue 

explores currant usage and experiences with the technology in prosthetics and, to a 

limited extent, orthotics. 

CITATION 

Raschke S.U. 3D printing in prosthetics, orthotics and 

assistive technology: myth and reality. Canadian 

Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2023; Volume 6, Issue 2, 

No.1. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222  

KEYWORDS 

Prosthetics, Orthotics, Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing, 

Digital Production Chain, Design, Rehabilitation 

* CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: 

Silvia Ursula Raschke, PhD 

British Columbia Institute of Technology, Applied Research MAKE+ 
(retired), 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, Canada. 

E-Mail: silvia-raschke-cpoj@online-publication.com 

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7964-4295 

Journal Homepage: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/index 

Volume 6, Issue 2, Article No.1. 2023 

 

 

Special Issue 

https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222
https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222
mailto:silvia-raschke-cpoj@online-publication.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7964-4295
https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/index


 

2 

Raschke S.U. 3D printing in prosthetics, orthotics and assistive technology: myth and reality. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2023; Volume 6, Issue 2, 
No.1. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222 

CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL 

ISSN: 2561-987X 3D PRINTING: MYTH AND REALITY 
Raschke S.U, 2023 (Special Issue) 

that what I was asking for was not possible due to the lack 

of data and understanding of the structural and mechanical 

properties of prosthetic and orthotic devices. While this may 

not have been possible at that time, his answer helped lead 

to my decision to pursue graduate studies and a research 

career. That decision was also driven by my repeated 

questions to my clinical supervisors of: “Why make the 

orthosis or prosthesis this way?”. Questions that were never 

answered with objective, evidence supported answers.    

Much changed in the subsequent four decades.  There was 

the development and expansion of evidence-based 

measures in the clinical setting in particular for lower limb 

prosthetics5 which set the stage for objective consideration 

of prosthetic components design. At the same time the 

patents on 3D printers began expiring, expanding 

availability and lowering costs making 3D printers available 

in the home and classroom. Printers that were increasingly 

sophisticated. At the industrial level access to additive 

manufacturing technology such as metal printers and 

carbon fiber printers also began to improve. This evolving 

landscape allowed new communities of practice to emerge, 

who had identified gaps in the prosthetic and orthotic 

provision process that they believed they could bridge.   

Some of the speakers at the aforementioned workshop 

have contributed to this Special Edition. Other authors write 

about their experiences with practical and research 

experience in 3D printing in prosthetic and orthotic devices. 

They share, in their words, how far we have come both from 

the initial use of CAD/CAM and 3D printing in orthotics and 

prosthetics and its more recent explosion into the public eye 

a decade ago, providing a pragmatic perspective of where 

we are now. Research into further developing additive 

manufacturing for this sector continues alongside active 

exploration of how what is developed can provide value to 

both patient and clinicians in the clinical setting. This is 

supported by ongoing research generating data on 

materials, biomechanical and structural engineering data 

from device testing projects, clinical outcome measure 

application research and, as it becomes more accessible, 

data from an amputee registry development initiative, being 

led by Dr Kenton Kaufmann at the Mayo Clinic.6 The 

synergies created by the crossover between clinical and 

engineering research will support the development of expert 

models that I had been looking for almost four decades ago. 

CONCLUSION 

Authors in this issue share opportunities and obstacles 

faced as they engaged with 3D printing and the digitization 

of the sector. Their experiences include the important 

message that 3D printers themselves do not do research or 

provide clinical care. They are just another tool that add 

capacity and capabilities, but they must be paired with 

skilled persons engaged in the prosthetic or orthotic design 

and provision process. A 3D printer on its own is of little use. 

What is also becoming clear is that benefits cannot be 

harnessed or obstacles overcome without reaching out 

across skills sets to work in interdisciplinary teams. It is 

incumbent on prosthetists and orthotists to reach out and 

collaborate with researchers and technology developers. 

This ensures that the digital production chains and 

innovative additively manufactured designs being 

developed do not leave them behind, potentially resulting in 

less-than-optimal service for their patient-clients.  

CALL TO ACTION 

In closing, I encourage the clinical readers of this Special 

Edition to being open to digital production chains and 

additive manufacturing processes and to actively reach out 

to researchers and technology developers with offers to 

collaborate and contribute, so that the systems being 

developed serve them as opposed to, in future, becoming 

their masters. For readers in the researcher and developer 

communities, I urge you to make a commitment to including 

prosthetists and orthotists in all stages of research to draw 

on their empirical knowledge in order to ensure the 

outcomes are comprehensive and robust. This requires 

both groups to go look beyond their comfort zones and learn 

from each others, ultimately benefiting the individuals they 

both groups aim to serve, those persons requiring assistive 

technology to maintain an active and fulfilling quality of life.  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

None. 

DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS 

I have no conflicts to interest to declare. 

SOURCES OF SUPPORT 

None. 

REFERENCES 

1.Makers Making Change [Internet]. Neil Squire. [cited Dec 17, 

2023]. Available from: https://www.neilsquire.ca/individual-

programs-services/makers-making-change/ 

2.Update, A newsletter for the BCIT community [Internet]. BCIT, 

1999. [cited Dec 17, 2023]. Available from: 

https://atom.lib.bcit.ca/uploads/r/null/d/b/0/db065feb49bb5a018a7

195a61a41655cde526b56445047f3ed115c1a631aab7c/http___14

2.232.42.4_archives_Digital_20Repository_BCIT_Update_BCITU

pdate1991-1999_bcitupdate_1999-11-30.pdf 

3.Jackson A. BCIT News [Internet]. BCIT Applied Research, 2023. 

[cited Dec 17, 2023]. Available from: 

https://commons.bcit.ca/news/2023/11/applied-research-3d-

printing-assistive-technology/ 

4.Advanced additive manufacturing technology hub [Internet]. 

BCIT. [cited Dec 17, 2023]. Available from:  

https://www.bcit.ca/applied-research/cari/advanced-additive-

manufacturing-technology-hub/ 

5.Tan J.M, Halford G.R.J, Lukin M, Kohler F. Recommendations 

from the ISPO lower-limb COMPASS: patient-reported and 

https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222
https://www.neilsquire.ca/individual-programs-services/makers-making-change/
https://www.neilsquire.ca/individual-programs-services/makers-making-change/
https://atom.lib.bcit.ca/uploads/r/null/d/b/0/db065feb49bb5a018a7195a61a41655cde526b56445047f3ed115c1a631aab7c/http___142.232.42.4_archives_Digital_20Repository_BCIT_Update_BCITUpdate1991-1999_bcitupdate_1999-11-30.pdf
https://atom.lib.bcit.ca/uploads/r/null/d/b/0/db065feb49bb5a018a7195a61a41655cde526b56445047f3ed115c1a631aab7c/http___142.232.42.4_archives_Digital_20Repository_BCIT_Update_BCITUpdate1991-1999_bcitupdate_1999-11-30.pdf
https://atom.lib.bcit.ca/uploads/r/null/d/b/0/db065feb49bb5a018a7195a61a41655cde526b56445047f3ed115c1a631aab7c/http___142.232.42.4_archives_Digital_20Repository_BCIT_Update_BCITUpdate1991-1999_bcitupdate_1999-11-30.pdf
https://atom.lib.bcit.ca/uploads/r/null/d/b/0/db065feb49bb5a018a7195a61a41655cde526b56445047f3ed115c1a631aab7c/http___142.232.42.4_archives_Digital_20Repository_BCIT_Update_BCITUpdate1991-1999_bcitupdate_1999-11-30.pdf
https://commons.bcit.ca/news/2023/11/applied-research-3d-printing-assistive-technology/
https://commons.bcit.ca/news/2023/11/applied-research-3d-printing-assistive-technology/
https://www.bcit.ca/applied-research/cari/advanced-additive-manufacturing-technology-hub/
https://www.bcit.ca/applied-research/cari/advanced-additive-manufacturing-technology-hub/


 

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Raschke S.U. 3D printing in prosthetics, orthotics and assistive technology: myth and reality. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2023; Volume 6, Issue 2, 
No.1. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222 

CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL 

ISSN: 2561-987X 3D PRINTING: MYTH AND REALITY 
Raschke S.U, 2023 (Special Issue) 

performance-based outcome measures. Prosthet Orthot Int. 

2023;47(1), 13–25. DOI: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000197 

6.Limb Loss and Preservation Registry [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 

[cited Dec 17, 2023]. Available from: 

https://www.mayo.edu/research/labs/motion-

analysis/research/limb-loss-preservation-registry 

AUTHOR SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY 

Dr Silvia Raschke, PhD, is an applied 

researcher (retired) with the British 

Columbia Institute of Technology 

MAKE+ group. She specializes in 

evaluation and product development 

projects in rehabilitation engineering 

with a focus on prosthetics and 

orthotics. In 2013 she and collaborator, 

Dr. Michael Orendurff, PhD won the 

Thranhardt Prize for their paper: "Can 

You Tell Which Foot is Which?", the 

first double blind prosthetic foot 

evaluation that included community 

ambulation. She is currently involved in a diverse range of projects, 

including orthotic aspects of exoskeleton design, curriculum 

development and acting as a mentor to a team of young 

researchers who are doing a project examining Glass Ceilings in 

Prosthetics and Orthotics. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian 

Prosthetics and Orthotics Journal and Chair of the US Veterans 

Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) 

Subcommittee on Rehabilitation Engineering and Prosthetics/ 

Orthotics. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v6i2.42222
https://www.mayo.edu/research/labs/motion-analysis/research/limb-loss-preservation-registry
https://www.mayo.edu/research/labs/motion-analysis/research/limb-loss-preservation-registry

