Numerical–Experimental Study of 3D Printed Ortheses for Rehabilitation of Patients with Musculoskeletal Lesions

Equinovarus foot or known as clubfoot is a frequent musculoskeletal deformity occurring at birth. It comprises a misalignment of the foot and shortened tendons and produces pain and serious physical limitations. It occurs mainly in patients with cerebral palsy, duchenne muscular dystrophy, residual clubfoot deformity, and spina bifida. The initial gold standard treatment for an equinovarus foot is the structural correction with the use of ortheses aimed to allow the patient to walk and perform rehabilitation exercises. These ortheses come mainly in the form of boots molded with plaster of Paris or fiberglass bandages. Premanufactured ortheses are also available and yield great resistance and support to the foot; however, they can be very costly and out of reach for some population. Recently, our research center of investigation and biomechanics laboratory (CILAB), with the assistance of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) started printing three-dimensional personalized ortheses for diverse musculoskeletal problems, including clubfoot patients aiming to lower the costs of treatment for our pediatric patients. Our preset study analyzed the resistance of two 3D printed ortheses: one for a normal subject and another for a clubfoot patient through optical interferometry and numerical analysis. Our purpose was to anticipate failure of our personalized designs, especially in cases, where the foot gait is abnormal such as in the case of clubfoot patients.