Send a text

We explore how pricing, policy, and 3D printing are reshaping orthotics and prosthetics from the UK to the Gulf and across Africa. Hugh Sheridan shares hard truths about aid that bypasses clinics and a road map for sustainable, locally led care.

• roots in shoe materials evolving into O&P supply chains
• UK reimbursement pressures and the pivot to prefabs and 3D printing
• UAE as a hub versus Saudi growth and privatisation
• pediatric disability needs and cultural barriers to access
• why direct aid can starve local clinics of patients and revenue
• franchise-style partnerships as a sustainable aid model
• China and Turkey’s rising role in components and materials
• open materials, SLS/MJF economics, and avoiding lock-in
• central fabrication versus in-clinic making and clinician psychology
• direct scanning, hybrid workflows, and protecting clinical value

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

Support the show

Send us a text

We trace how affordable, reliable material extrusion is changing prosthetics and orthotics—from student labs to jungle clinics—and why toolpaths, not just materials, will drive the next gains in comfort, strength and cost. Real patient stories show the economics and ethics of access at scale.

• season launch and mission to improve patient outcomes
• shift from tinkering to reliable, prosumer 3D printers
• material extrusion vs FDM and why terminology matters
• nonplanar layers, multimaterial potential, pellet economics
• toward truly digital extrusion with better sensing and AI
• application focus over generalization in O&P innovation
• case study on low-cost pediatric prosthesis with reuse of CAD data
• orthoses workflows moving toward “toaster-like” simplicity
• education pathways as students learn on clinic-grade printers
• materials outlook: TPU, TPE, silicone prospects, polycarbonate tradeoffs
• variable density, air pockets, and hybrid fill strategies for comfort
• polar kinematics and toolpath planning as the next frontier
• print farms, software orchestration, and scaling production

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

Support the show

Send us a text

We talk with Molly McCoy about turning dense policy into practical tools, writing notes that get covered, and why advocating coverage can improve outcomes. The focus stays on patient stories, shared decisions, and using the whole medical record to support care.

• how clinician notes function as medical records and drive coverage
• writing people-first justifications that explain medical necessity
• using therapists’ and nurses’ notes to support decisions
• drafting notes in real time to capture shared decision-making
• where AI helps as a writing partner and where it harms
• working with payers while advocating for policy change
• why two devices enable both ADLs and true physical activity
• reducing burnout through smarter workflows and legislation
• telehealth access gains and state-level advocacy
• flexible roles, job sharing, and retaining clinicians in O&P

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

Support the show