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Recently, we were witnessing the life-changing impact of a prosthetic on one of our patients. After being fitted with a prosthetic leg, he experienced a newfound sense of independence and mobility, which drastically improved his quality of life. None of this project would have been possible without the expertise of Marco Papenburg, who provided last year’s […]

Improvising! That’s what you do when you have limited resources in rural areas, such as in Masanga Hospital Sierra Leone. You look at what you do have and try to come up with the best possible solution. So what to do if you’re having trouble using your oxygen concentrator to generate enough liters per minute to […]

Last year, an AI algorithm was developed for transtibial prosthetic sockets from 130 scans of transtibial stumps and the corresponding corrected models. The AI algorithm was incorporated into 3DMedX, a automated design software program of the 3D Lab of the Radboud UMC. Using this software, a prosthetic socket can be designed within 3 minutes by […]

During the past few years, research is being conducted focusing on the manufacture of transtibial and upper limb prosthetics. Since this year, we are also focusing on the transfemoral (above-knee) prosthetics. A pilot study aims to examine whether it is feasible to use CAD/CAM techniques to design and manufacture above-knee prostheses for people in Sierra […]

He can climb high up the tree using the stairs and his prosthesis. He does this every morning and evening and this is how he collects 15 liters of palm wine every day. Then he sells the palm wine for 30,000 Leones (1.50 euros). In this way, he supports his family of two wives and […]

This is a story about Mamajan Jalloh. He was suffering from a disease called gangrene. The disease affected his lower limb, and he had to undergo a transtibial amputation at Masanga Hospital Sierra Leone. In March 2022 he received a 3D-printed prosthetic, although rehabilitation was not easy for him. But with the good help of the […]

“Mijn vader print armen en benen”, vertelt Mbalu uit Sierra Leone. Deze week vertelt Mbalu, de dochter van Osman over het 3D project in het Masanga Hospital Sierra Leone in het kindertijdschrift: de SamSam “Het is heel bijzonder dat er in een ziekenhuis op het platteland van Sierra Leone een 3D printer staat. De vader van Mbalu […]

Last week we won the Health for All Film Festival – Students special prize of the World Health Organization. Our Dutch-Sierra Leonean teams feel very honored to receive this award. Idrissah and Osman, the local employees of the 3D project at the Masanga Hospital Sierra Leone, were very proud. The upcoming years will be exciting for the […]

The past two weeks I traveled together with Ruud Leijendekkers and Marco Papenburg to Masanga in Sierra Leone to give a course in rehabilitation for prosthetics to the fourth-year Bachelor students physiotherapy.Together with the local physiotherapist Abu Amara and prosthetist Abdulrahman Dumbuya, we introduced the students to prepare the patient and the stump for a prosthesis, the importance of […]

Last weeks ten leg prostheses were made by our 3D team. In the middle of the group picture, you see a selection of the people who received a prosthesis. Joshep is able to work behind his loom again. The prosthesis helps him well since he needs two legs to practice the technique. He does not […]