Hopkins surgeon turns to 3D printing to make prosthetics for kids

A Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon is using 3D printing to make prosthetics for children missing hands, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Albert Chi used a printer his wife got him for Father’s Day and designs he found online to make a hand for about $20.

The 3-D printed prosthetics are particularly useful for children. They often grow out of prosthetics and can’t afford replacements every few months or years. The 3-D versions also can be lighter and easier to wield — and come in their favorite color.

Insurance also doesn’t always cover pediatric prosthetics, which cost up to $40,000, said Chi. And children can have trouble adjusting to them.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that four in 10,000 children are born with some congenital hand loss, or about 1,500 a year. That doesn’t include those suffering trauma.

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A similar effort was covered by NPR in 2013.