IMG 2298.jpg
FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Project data
Authors Reis G.M. Jones
Somerset R. Schrock
Luke Carstens
Completed 2019
Made Yes
Replicated No
Cost USD 6.13
Instance of Anckle splint
OKH Manifest Download
Picture of physical print

This ankle brace is designed to be stronger and more versatile than other OS ankle braces available online. Most notably, this brace does not require any heat forming where most others do. With proper wrapping, this brace will allow the wearer to walk with an injured ankle. The following picture is the first iteration of the design, which has been updated to be thinner and have more cutouts to decrease print time.

Bill of Materials[edit | edit source]

Part No. QTY Part Desc. Source File STL File
1 1X Base, Ankle Brace Source files Stl files
2 1X Leg Support, Ankle Brace Source files Stl files
3 1X Foot Support, Ankle Brace Source files Stl files
4 1X Lace, Ankle Brace Minimum requirement of 5ft (1.5m) of lace or string like material to be used. 1 4?keywords=thin+rope&qid=1575594467&sr=8-4 $6 for 328ft (100m) of twine
5 1X Wrap, Ankle Brace Any material to provide comfort between ankle and cast can be used. Examples of materials can be, medical gauze, old clothing, paper, hay, etc.. Cost is minimal as any of the provided examples can be accessible.

Tools needed[edit | edit source]

  1. MOST Delta RepRap or similar RepRap 3-D printer
  2. Lace; See BOM above
  3. Soft material for wrapping under brace; See BOM above

Skills and knowledge needed[edit | edit source]

  • For Adjustability of this ankle brace, it is useful to have a basic understanding of Openscad.

Technical Specifications and Assembly Instructions[edit | edit source]

  1. Adjust the shell pieces of the brace to fit the user's foot as needed. Use the openscad files linked in the BOM.
  2. Print off rigid shell pieces of the brace. Use a minimum of 60% infill. For an adult, it is recommended to use 75-85%.
  3. Total print time is estimated to be 26 hours for all three parts.
  4. It takes approximately 5 minutes to wrap the foot in cloth etc and 5 minutes to lace up the brace.

Common Problems and Solutions[edit | edit source]

The most common problem is correctly sizing the brace to the user. For comfort's sake, it is better to print a bit too big and use extra wrapping inside the shell to avoid harsh contact with the rigid shell.

Cost savings[edit | edit source]

  1. Approximate printing cost for average adult male ~ $10 USD. Cost of shoelace ~ $0.50 USD. Cost of old fabric, cloth, or paper ~ free or minimal.
  2. Commercial equivalent: $60 to $80 USD Brace on Amazon
  3. Cost savings: $50 - ($10 + $0.50) = $39.50

Benefited Internet Communities[edit | edit source]

These links provide access to companies supporting small research camps in remote locations and would benefit from this OSAT Design:

Embracing The World

Volunteer HQ

Agape Volunteers

Go Overseas

Volunteering Solutions

References[edit | edit source]

The OpenSCAD CheatSheet is very valuable for creating or editing parts in OpenSCAD. https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/


FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Keywords 3d printing, ankle brace, injury, osat, splint, braces, casts, plastic, splints, casts, braces, osat 3d-printable designs
SDG SDG03 Good health and well-being
Authors Somerset R. Schrock, Luke Carstens
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Organizations Michigan_Tech's_Open_Sustainability_Technology_Lab, MY4777, MTU
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 10 pages link here
Impact 609 page views
Created December 4, 2019 by Somerset R. Schrock
Modified January 29, 2024 by Felipe Schenone
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