title: Innovations With 3-Dimensional Printing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Review of the Literature.
abstract: Created more than 30 years ago, 3-dimensional printing (3DP) has recently seen a meteoric rise in interest within medicine, and the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is no exception. Also called additive manufacturing (AM), the recent increase in the use of 3DP is likely due to lower-cost printers as well as breakthroughs in techniques and processing. This thematic narrative review serves to introduce the rehabilitation professional to 3DP technology and how it is being applied to orthoses, prostheses, and assistive technology (AT). The basics of the technology, as well as the benefits and challenges of using it within the rehabilitation framework, are described. Proponents of the technology suggest that 3DP offers not only a better way to make devices, but a better way to make improved devices. However, the strength of this claim has not been properly tested by the current literature. This narrative review evaluates the evidence and provides a discussion of possible implications for the rehabilitation professional.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA(∗).
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lunsford
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA(†).
authors.forename: Garrett
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grindle
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Assistive Technology Program, McGuire Veterans Hospital, Richmond, VA(‡).
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salatin
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6425 Penn Ave, Suite 400, Office 4115, Pittsburgh, PA 15206; Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA(§). Electronic address: dicianno@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Brad E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Dicianno
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010810:Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional