3D-printed legs lets Emirati double amputee walk pain-free

Fahad Mohammed Ali and Sebastien Giede share details of the 3D-printed legs at DHA headquarters. - KT photo by Shihab

Having had his legs amputated as a child, it was a big day for Emirati Fahad Mohammed Ali when he became the region's first double amputee to wear 3D-printed prosthetic legs.
"There was no more pain in my hips which I had due to the earlier prosthetics that I've been wearing," said Fahad, 25, who was given the 3D prosthetics by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in partnership with Mediclinic, Mercuris and Immensa Technology Labs.
The department of humanitarian services at the DHA fully supported and funded the initiative. "They are so comfortable that I can almost feel my toes," said Fahad, who is a wheelchair-racing champion and currently works at Dewa.
The paralympic champion was able to walk with the maximum feeling of anatomical function due to his 3D prosthetics.
"There is a lot of difference in the weight, balance and comfort with these new legs," said Fahad who said his confidence levels have gone up.
Humaid Al Qattami, director-general of DHA, said: "The DHA has prioritised fostering the development of future technologies such as 3D-printing in healthcare to provide high-quality patient-centric care.
"This is truly heartening, as it is an example of how healthcare technology directly improves the patient's quality of life," he said.
Dr Mohammad Al Redha, director of the Executive Office for Organisational Transformation at the DHA, said that the prosthetic legs cost around Dh100,000. "This is the same as any prosthetics, but the idea is about the superior technology that has made life so much easier for Fahad," he said.
Eventually, prices of 3D prosthetics will go down, he said. "Imagine if Fahad had got this technology as a child, life would have been easier for him." He also said that the work done so far is part of the foundation of future 3D-printing research and development work in the UAE.
With more than 25 years of experience in the field, Sebastian Giede, a certified orthopaedic prosthetist with Mediclinic, said: "The potential of 3D-printing in the field of prosthetic devices is huge. It allows for faster turnaround times; we can get a foot customised within two to three weeks. It provides more personalisation in terms of both design and functionality as well as great flexibility when it comes to replacement."
"The functionality of 3D-printed prosthetics is superior, as it allows us to design completely individualised models as compared to mass manufactured prosthetics," he said.
Giede added that every aspect, including the colour, can be individualised. Fahad said: "I chose orange prosthetics as it is an attractive and positive colour. I even wear shorts now, as I am confident and can show off my prosthetics."
"We conducted several 3D scans of the patient's amputated legs. After that, we used a CAD software programme to design and modify the inner shape of the prosthesis," said Giede.
"Then, the test socket was 3D-printed so that we could use it on the patient to control the size and make changes that will help provide the patient with maximum comfort and functional alignment," he explained.
A Dubai-based company, Immensa Technology Labs, provided the test socket and final socket, which is about 40 per cent of the 3D prosthetics. The rest of the 3D prosthetics were provided by Mecuris, a company based in Germany that combines existing industrial 3D-technologies like 3D-scanning, 3D data processing and 3D-printing into an innovative process of digital tailoring for orthopaedics.
This is the second time the DHA has collaborated with Mediclinic and Mecuris for 3D prosthetics. In 2017, the authority and Informa Life Sciences collaborated with them and with Prosfit to provide a Dubai resident with a 3D prosthesis.
The 3D-printed prosthetic leg was donated to Belinda Gatland, a British expat who has been an amputee for more than 10 years - her life changed dramatically after a horse riding accident at the age of 22.
With subsequent necrosis (premature death of tissue or bone cells) leaving her in immense pain, she ultimately had to have her left leg amputated. Belinda become the first amputee in the region to wear a completely 3D-printed prosthetic leg as part of the DHA's Year of Giving initiative in 2017.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Asma Ali Zain

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com