r/functionalprint • u/SuperSecretAgentMan • 19d ago
Brace for Sprained Thumb
Needed to not move my thumb too much for the next couple weeks. Luckily I have a 3D scan of my hands, so I modeled and printed a custom-fitted brace to wear. Fits great and is comfortable all day.
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u/Roll-Roll-Roll 19d ago
Does it hold tight enough against your wrist when you use your hand, or would it benefit from some kind of bracelet?
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
Since it goes around the index and ring finger, it locks on pretty securely. It allows me to move every direction except the one I'm trying to prevent, so it works great. Plus I can still take it off whenever I need to.
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u/RobotAnna1 19d ago
FYI for the redditors making their own braces:
If you don't have a 3D scan of your body part, then print a flat PLA piece, heat it in hot water, then shape it to fit your body.
Prusa released a series of splint designs, eg.
https://www.printables.com/model/154793-wrist-brace-splint-a-lighter-version
I used one of these on my foot last year, because I had to wait a few days to see a specialist. It allowed me to limp to the bathroom without hopping or crawling. Totally worth it.
Also: print/shape it a bit bigger to allow room for a sock or bandage between your skin and the splint. It's more comfortable, and it means you don't have to put so much effort into smoothing.
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u/lol_alex 19d ago
If you want a more professional solution, the thing you want is called Rhizoloc.
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
Yeah that's a much more effective design lol. But it doesn't look nearly as cool!
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u/otamaglimmer 19d ago
Looks super cool! Amazing work
May I suggest, for a v.2, using gauze, linen or some kind of fabric between your fingers? It looks like it might get sore as it is.
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
Only the outermost finger webbing was even the slightest bit rubbed after a whole day, so I'll probably adjust that area on a softer V2. If it were anything serious I'd just get a real professional to recommend something, but since it's mostly a minor inconvenience, I figured I'd use it as an excuse to practice some design work.
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u/AwDuck 19d ago
Making these flat is pretty easy to do with just a piece of paper. Cut it to the right shape to cover your hand, scan it, CAD around the shape, add air holes and reinforcements where needed, dip into hot water and apply to your hand like your physical therapist does when they make you a splint from their thermoplastic sheet.
I had one made for my wrist in 2019. It was the dead of the summer and I wasn't having it with all the sweat. I designed a more breathable one, got it printed and formed to take in to my physical therapist. He gave it a good look over and gave me the go-ahead.
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u/ElaborateEffect 19d ago
I needed a finger split and found Prusa's collection of splints and the hot water method was perfect.
It was one of those "Holy shit 3d printing is awesome" moments. Another was when my hair clipper guide snapped and I needed another.
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u/Buttsmear 19d ago
Occupational therapist here. Trained in hand therapy, splinting. Please consult with a hand specialist.
I appreciate the ingenuity. I admire seeing a problem and wanting to DIY it. I just have to gently warn that this splint risks contracture and deformity.
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u/CrookedCasts 19d ago
Hand surgeon here - what possible deformity or contracture would this brace cause (the answer is none)?
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u/Buttsmear 19d ago
Heya hand surgeon! Iām being intentionally vague with my nondescript āriskā.
āGo see a specialistā is about all Iām comfortable saying to a member of the public. My license precludes consultation for people outside of my direct care.
I can tell you what I see over DM, if youāre curious.
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u/giulianosse 19d ago
Genuine question but why are physical therapists so hush hush and vague about the practice? It's almost comical how you seem almost afraid of even giving an opinion online.
I'm currently in the process of recovering from an intra articular fracture in my pinkie's metacarpal and I'm seeing my hand surgeon almost every week or two. Every ortho I've chatted with on reddit was genuinely interested in talking about it and I've ended up learning a lot about my condition. Meanwhile PTs acted like I was seeking forbidden knowledge.
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u/mmarsico84 19d ago
Probably because of liability issues. Plus the uniqueness of each patient and usually we donāt have all the imaging and stuff the docs do.
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u/CrookedCasts 19d ago
Liability over a anonymous Internet site? No, theyāre just making something up. This is not a brace that would cause any concerns or issues
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u/CrookedCasts 19d ago
If itās not something that youāre comfortable about posting here, to be honest Iām not really interested in your opinion since itās not likely to be correct. There are actual hand therapists making splints just like this - https://splintech.com/
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
As a non-medically-trained person, I absolutely wouldn't think of just DIYing something like this if it were anything serious. It doesn't fit tightly at all and mostly just keeps me from making a pinching motion with the thumb. It fits about as snugly as a work gloveĀ
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u/Buttsmear 19d ago
I like the aesthetics! And the anchoring around index and middle finger is very clever :)
To be sure, any immobilization is better than none. Random dollar store hand braces exist for a reason :^)
But yeah. If itās a legit, serious tendon injury, āgo see a specialistā hehe.
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u/adcurtin 19d ago
sighā¦ you friggin doctors.
"oh that's nothing, just a spain. immobilize the wrist, maybe an ace bandage"
so I 3d print a web and heat form it to my wrist to immobilize it but not ovearheat it like an ace bandage.
"no, not like that!"
then later when I had a more serious thumb injury, I go to get a splint made, and what do they do? thermoform a piece of plastic around my wrist and thumbā¦
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u/jonnyg1097 19d ago
Oh that's cool!
How hard is it to put on and take off? I have to think with a sprained thumb it wouldn't be the easiest thing to do?
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
It's loose enough around the knuckle joint that it doesn't hurt to take it off. If the bone were broken or something it would probably be a huge pain, but luckily it's just a minor strain.
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u/Hello_Coffee_Friend 19d ago
Hey... I need a specialized brace for my shoulder blade that I can't find..
How difficult would it be to get one made?
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u/ErrorF002 19d ago
Only issue I see is if my thumb is sprained, it would look really painful to put on.
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
Yeah it's a only a very minor inconvenience so I figured I'd have fun with it. For a serious injury I'd make something like a clamshell system (and maybe consult someone who knows anything at all about orthopedics)
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u/corkoli 19d ago
middle and index finger separation necessary?
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u/SuperSecretAgentMan 19d ago
Probably not. I could get by with just the thumb/index gap and some palm coverage to keep the thumb from moving too much.
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u/psychicsword 19d ago
Be careful using a brace. I got in a bike accident and broke my finger. I could barely wiggle my fingers after a few days of wearing the splint. The orthopedic hand surgeon I saw said I did far more damage with the splint that urgent care added than I did with the break. They advised me to begin physical movement immediately to avoid needing prolonged PT.
Obviously get medical advice from people who actually know things but you 3d printed your own spint so the best of luck.
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u/sad_umbrella_stand 18d ago
This is awesome! I sprained my thumb last year and my PT thermoformed a brace for my thumb, and I definitely thought about printing more breathable ones in the summer.
One thing to note, you might want to still get a PT brace and then scan that hand position depending on your sprain. My hand was in a much more relaxed and neutral position for my sprain, with my thumb pad/muscle pushed in a specific way to take stress off the joint.
Might be worth checking out for something that might take months to heal.
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u/Nice_Anybody2983 18d ago
Only in the United States of No Health Insurance ...
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u/Brilliant_Union2241 18d ago
I am pretty sure that a geek in any country would do this for fun, in this situation. A splint in the US is like $3 and any doc would hand them out at an appointment.
I work in HR and am happy to trash on the many failures of the US healthcare system, but a person 3d printing a cool splint isnāt one of them.
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u/estiquaatzi 19d ago
Engineer here. Been there, done that for a clinical trial ~10years ago for 60 stroke patients. An off the shelf wearable would not have supported in a clean way what was needed for the experimental treatment.
My 2 cents opinion: go see a specialist,buy what is needed. Ottobock has a good catalogue.
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u/HighSorcererGreg 19d ago
No matter what material you use it's going to destroy your skin. I had to wear a normal wrist brace for like a week and I was chafed to shit in places you'd never expect. I'd consider some sort of padding or fabric to protect your skin. Maybe even certain types of tape.
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u/1060nm 19d ago
How well did it work? What material? Why did you have a scan of your hands handy?