Fabrication of Customized Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) by Reverse Engineering Using Fused Deposition Modelling

Author(s):  
Harlal Singh Mali ◽  
Shivendra Vasistha
2021 ◽  
Vol 2070 (1) ◽  
pp. 012200
Author(s):  
D Otegen ◽  
K Shomenov ◽  
K Zhangabay ◽  
Desmond Adair ◽  
Md. Hazrat Ali

Abstract This paper presents a design and development of an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) printed with a multi-extrusion Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) printer. AFO is crucial in the healing of patients with ankle joint displacement. It helps to heal the foot easily. The model is designed to print with dual materials such as flex and polylactic acid (PLA). The critical problem in building a prototype is to obtain excellent bonding properties between the layers of different materials. The Flex material is softer than the PLA and both have different melting temperatures. Thus, successfully printing with an excellent adhesive is the key concern in multimaterial applications. The paper also presents the simulation results of an AFO to justify the mechanical properties and required materials for sustainable development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 7296-7308
Author(s):  
Siti Nur Humaira Mazlan ◽  
Aini Zuhra Abdul Kadir ◽  
N. H. A. Ngadiman ◽  
M.R. Alkahari

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a process of joining materials based on material entrusion technique to produce objects from 3D model using layer-by-layer technique as opposed to subtractive manufacturing. However, many challenges arise in the FDM-printed part such as warping, first layer problem and elephant food that was led to an error in dimensional accuracy of the printed parts especially for the overhanging parts. Hence, in order to investigate the manufacturability of the FDM printed part, various geometrical and manufacturing features were developed using the benchmarking artifacts. Therefore, in this study, new benchmarking artifacts containing multiple overhang lengths were proposed. After the benchmarking artifacts were developed, each of the features were inspected using 3D laser scanner to measure the dimensional accuracy and tolerances. Based on 3D scanned parts, 80% of the fabricated parts were fabricated within ±0.5 mm of dimensional accuracy as compared with the CAD data. In addition, the multiple overhang lengths were also successfully fabricated with a very significant of filament sagging observed.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2289
Author(s):  
Nishata Royan Rajendran Royan ◽  
Jie Sheng Leong ◽  
Wai Nam Chan ◽  
Jie Ren Tan ◽  
Zainon Sharmila Binti Shamsuddin

As one of the fastest-growing additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, fused deposition modelling (FDM) shows great potential in printing natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFRC). However, several challenges, such as low mechanical properties and difficulty in printing, need to be overcome. Therefore, the effort to improve the NFRC for use in AM has been accelerating in recent years. This review attempts to summarise the current approaches of using NFRC as a feeder for AM. The effects of fibre treatments, composite preparation methods and addition of compatibilizer agents were analysed and discussed. Additionally, current methods of producing feeders from NFRCs were reviewed and discussed. Mechanical property of printed part was also dependent on the printing parameters, and thus the effects of printing temperature, layer height, infill and raster angle were discussed, and the best parameters reported by other researchers were identified. Following that, an overview of the mechanical properties of these composites as reported by various researchers was provided. Next, the use of optimisation techniques for NFRCs was discussed and analysed. Lastly, the review provided a critical discussion on the overall topic, identified all research gaps present in the use of NFRC for AM processes, and to overcome future challenges.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoo Jin Choo ◽  
Min Cheol Chang

AbstractWe conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of ankle–foot orthosis (AFO) use in improving gait biomechanical parameters such as walking speed, mobility, and kinematics in patients with stroke with gait disturbance. We searched the MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus databases and retrieved studies published until June 2021. Experimental and prospective studies were included that evaluated biomechanics or kinematic parameters with or without AFO in patients with stroke. We analyzed gait biomechanical parameters, including walking speed, mobility, balance, and kinematic variables, in studies involving patients with and without AFO use. The criteria of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were used to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies, and the level of evidence was evaluated using the Research Pyramid model. Funnel plot analysis and Egger’s test were performed to confirm publication bias. A total of 19 studies including 434 participants that reported on the immediate or short-term effectiveness of AFO use were included in the analysis. Significant improvements in walking speed (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.50; 95% CI 0.34–0.66; P < 0.00001; I2, 0%), cadence (SMD, 0.42; 95% CI 0.22–0.62; P < 0.0001; I2, 0%), step length (SMD, 0.41; 95% CI 0.18–0.63; P = 0.0003; I2, 2%), stride length (SMD, 0.43; 95% CI 0.15–0.71; P = 0.003; I2, 7%), Timed up-and-go test (SMD, − 0.30; 95% CI − 0.54 to − 0.07; P = 0.01; I2, 0%), functional ambulation category (FAC) score (SMD, 1.61; 95% CI 1.19–2.02; P < 0.00001; I2, 0%), ankle sagittal plane angle at initial contact (SMD, 0.66; 95% CI 0.34–0.98; P < 0.0001; I2, 0%), and knee sagittal plane angle at toe-off (SMD, 0.39; 95% CI 0.04–0.73; P = 0.03; I2, 46%) were observed when the patients wore AFOs. Stride time, body sway, and hip sagittal plane angle at toe-off were not significantly improved (p = 0.74, p = 0.07, p = 0.07, respectively). Among these results, the FAC score showed the most significant improvement, and stride time showed the lowest improvement. AFO improves walking speed, cadence, step length, and stride length, particularly in patients with stroke. AFO is considered beneficial in enhancing gait stability and ambulatory ability.


Author(s):  
M.I.M. Sargini ◽  
S.H. Masood ◽  
Suresh Palanisamy ◽  
Elammaran Jayamani ◽  
Ajay Kapoor

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document