Design, Manufacturing, and Trial of a 3D Printed Customized Finger Splint for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis has become one of the most common inflammatory diseases and plays a major role in the disability of the population affected by it. The prevalence of finger deformities in the upper extremity caused by rheumatoid arthritis is increasing day by day, especially in low and middle-income countries such as India. For the management of these finger deformities, the splinting options are either customized or prefabricated. The performance and success of finger splinting depend on several factors, including precision, aesthetics, patient acceptance, comfort, the convenience of usage, effects, price, and side effects. However, to date, customized splints are high-cost and usually fabricated by conventional production techniques, which dominantly work on approximation. This study focused on the development of a novel finger splint through computational optimization and 3D printing for the management of boutonniere and swan neck deformity caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Twenty subjects with finger deformities were recruited, and the performance of the 3D-printed splint was characterized. The results were assessed using the nine-hole peg test and QUEST 2.0, which showed positive effects of the splint, including achievement of corrected joint positions, finger dexterity, and comfort. Such a low-cost and effective splint, with further acceptability testing, is anticipated to be a better line of conservative management for patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis.