Boy Born Without Hand Gets Hi Tech 3D Printed Prosthetic

A 5-year-old boy born missing his left hand is able to play catch thanks to a 3-D printed fully functional prosthetic that enables him to firmly grip objects.

Rice e-Nable, an online global community of “digital humanitarians” who use their access to 3D printers to produce low-cost prosthetic limbs for children and adults in need, partnered with Dr. William Pederson from the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to help Adriel Rivas. He was born lacking his left hand.

Rice e-Nable is the brainchild of Arinze Appio-Riley, who is studying Kinesiology at Rice University, and his sibling Chinwe Appio-Riley, a Rice alumna.

They asked Rice University lecturer Deirdre Hunter for help with the project and to be their faculty mentor. -

Pederson sent Hunter a mold of Adriel's arm.

A major advantage of 3D-printed limbs is that they are quick to make and relatively cheap, Hunter said.

This means that the printed limbs can be enlarged as the user grows, and children do not have to worry too much about damaging them.

November 4, 2021
Houston, Texas
Source: Rice University

#Prosthetic #Tech #3DPrinting