1 Topic by driggers (edited by driggers 2016-01-14 19:45:28)

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Topic: I need a hand/finger splint for my 14-month old baby

My son, 14-months old, has Camptodactyly -- greek for "bent fingers".  The middle knuckles of his last three fingers of each hand bend at around 45 degrees away from straight when they are stretched out.  They will soon make thermoform splints for him (which I expect will be an uphill battle, but we take it as it comes, and there are children with far worse problems).

I would like to have some 3D printed alternatives, but this goes beyond my OpenScad skills.  Basically (according to the therapist) the splints need to gently open the middle joints of the last three digits of each hand, while stabilising the other joints.

Would anyone volunteer to work with me and help design splints for him?  I'm happy to post exact measurements and details to the thread in case someone wants to make a non-committal venture.  I can also take a cast of his hand and mail it to anyone who gets really serious!

I am also looking for suggestions on how to get this done, so throw your ideas down here.  Is there a "thingiverse" for medical aides?

SD2 Sanguinololu 1.3a atmega1284p, wood platform, lawsy's carriages, braided fishing line, pallet wood overhead spool mount, carboard/magnet enclosure, glass bed, E3D v6, bed levelling knobs, extended z-stop, 25A DC-DC SSR for bed heater, everything fixed to the SD2 frame, marlin firmware with some adjustments and extra failsafes enabled.  I'll never give up on you, little printer that could(n't)!

2 Reply by cmetzel

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Re: I need a hand/finger splint for my 14-month old baby

Call the head of the engineering department for your local college and see if they will assign it to their students, qualify that they need to have a 3d printer or access to it.  Offer to publicize the results so they could use it as a recruiting tool in the future.  Everyone wins.   I could help but I don't have enough free time to dedicate to it right now.

3 Reply by Heartlander

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Re: I need a hand/finger splint for my 14-month old baby

You might try making something with Sculpteo or some other craft pottery/clay. You mold it n shape it by hand. When you're ready just bake it in an over. I solidifies hard.

Sugru is  silicone based putty that is similar but it begins to harden on exposure to air. You have  bout  15 minute work time. Lot quicker and easier than 3D and you can make news ones as he get bigger. It solidifies like semi hard rubber. Google "DIY Sugru" for a simple, cheap recipe to make your own with Silicone caulk and talcum powder.

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4 Reply by carl_m1968 (edited by carl_m1968 2016-01-17 00:05:52)

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Re: I need a hand/finger splint for my 14-month old baby

driggers wrote:

My son, 14-months old, has Camptodactyly -- greek for "bent fingers".  The middle knuckles of his last three fingers of each hand bend at around 45 degrees away from straight when they are stretched out.  They will soon make thermoform splints for him (which I expect will be an uphill battle, but we take it as it comes, and there are children with far worse problems).

I would like to have some 3D printed alternatives, but this goes beyond my OpenScad skills.  Basically (according to the therapist) the splints need to gently open the middle joints of the last three digits of each hand, while stabilising the other joints.

Would anyone volunteer to work with me and help design splints for him?  I'm happy to post exact measurements and details to the thread in case someone wants to make a non-committal venture.  I can also take a cast of his hand and mail it to anyone who gets really serious!

I am also looking for suggestions on how to get this done, so throw your ideas down here.  Is there a "thingiverse" for medical aides?


If your town or area has a Makerspace contact them. In any case you need to supply pictures and dimensions of what you need to whom ever can do it. Either do it in CAD or free hand but we would need to know the length of the fingers, the space between, exactly how it needs to be shaped and so on.

There are some splints of different types on Thingiverse, but there is no one size fits all..

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5 Reply by driggers

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Re: I need a hand/finger splint for my 14-month old baby

Good ideas all.  Keep em coming!

SD2 Sanguinololu 1.3a atmega1284p, wood platform, lawsy's carriages, braided fishing line, pallet wood overhead spool mount, carboard/magnet enclosure, glass bed, E3D v6, bed levelling knobs, extended z-stop, 25A DC-DC SSR for bed heater, everything fixed to the SD2 frame, marlin firmware with some adjustments and extra failsafes enabled.  I'll never give up on you, little printer that could(n't)!