HELLO: 3D lab prints 195 prosthetic elements for 104 patients at Superhumans Centre

ALLO Marketplace has already donated more than half of the planned amount, namely UAH 4,000,000, for materials for the 3D laboratory at the Superhumans Centre.

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The funding is part of the Innovations for Movement charity project. With ALLO's support, the quality of life of 104 patients - military and civilian Ukrainians - has improved: over 300 products have been printed in four months, including 195 individually modelled prosthetic and rehabilitation elements, as well as anatomical models, assistive technologies and more than 120 test products. Some of the patients have already recovered and regained the ability to move. The 3D printed products include temporary hand prostheses, limb protection orthoses, prosthetic overlays, and mock-ups for wound research.

In particular, for a highly complex facial reconstruction surgery for Mykhailo Bartoshyk, a soldier with a mine-blast injury, doctors needed a life-size 3D model of his jaw to study the injury, prepare for the surgery and plan treatment carefully. The model was made on a 3D printer thanks to a preliminary spiral computed tomography scan. During the operation, two teams of surgeons worked simultaneously; a bone fragment of the patient's ilium was used, which was adapted to the injury and fixed with a titanium plate. By the way, last year, thanks to ALLO, Mykhailo received a modern bionic prosthesis of the upper right limb worth 45.8 thousand euros, which compensates for the lost functions of the arm.

Another patient of the Superhumans Centre, Denys, joined the army in March 2022, and a year later he was severely wounded, losing both his legs and arm. After receiving prosthetics at the Superhumans Centre, Denys joined the medical centre's team and helps others, but his complex amputation makes it difficult for him to walk, and he has to use a wheelchair at home, which is difficult to operate, and his prosthetic arm broke five times in six months. Therefore, the 3D laboratory produced a unique assistive technology - a special pad for the prosthetic arm for easy control of the wheelchair.

Taras, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was injured in September 2022: he lost his left leg to a banned anti-personnel mine in Kharkiv Oblast. Taras received a modern prosthetic limb, for which a cosmetic pad was modelled and printed in a 3D laboratory: it covers the prosthetic elements and imitates the shape of the lower leg. After rehabilitation, Taras intends to return to duty and continue clearing the de-occupied territories of Ukraine of Russian hardware, mines and explosive devices. By the way, the 3D laboratory individually makes two types of overlays: mesh, which are more cosmetic, and solid, which protect the prosthesis in the field and contribute to its safe use.

The 3D lab also produced soft prosthetic hands, battery models for the production of bionic hands, orthoses for limb protection and fixation, and protective and cosmetic prosthetic covers for patients. In addition, the specialists modelled and printed life-size anatomical models of skulls for maxillofacial surgery.

3D technologies make it possible to remotely produce devices for patients who are not at the Centre. To do this, 3D scans and modelling are done in advance, and the printed products are sent by post. By the way, with the help of 3D printing of the necessary parts, the Centre's staff promptly repaired a device for vacuum wound therapy.

Under the terms of the Innovations for Movement charity project, ALLO is donating UAH 100 from every bank card payment made by customers on the allo.ua website and in the ALLO mobile app until 25 September to medical innovations and 3D printing, which makes the rehabilitation process cheaper and faster.

This is the second collaboration between ALLO and the Superhumans Centre. Last year, ALLO donated UAH 15 million for the manufacture of high-tech upper and lower limb prostheses for nine patients of the Superhumans Centre.