Case Study: Gonzaga University cuts AFO production from 4 weeks to 2 days and reduces costs with 3D Platform

Transforming Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) with 3D Printing

Gonzaga University researchers and students set out to transform how Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are made, tackling a challenge to produce braces up to 18 inches long that meet strength and comfort requirements while drastically reducing the typical four-week, ~$2,000 fabrication process. They needed a large-format 3D printer and a rapid, cost-effective workflow that could print directly from patient scans.

Using a 3D Platform large-format printer, the team scanned patients, designed printable AFO models, and tested materials—identifying PLA and PETG as the best balances of strength, printability, and cost. The result: full-scale proofs printed from scans, production time cut from weeks to about two days (prints up to ~16 hours), lower material and labor costs, and reduced waste, enabling more affordable, high-quality orthotics.

Gonzaga University

McKenzie Horner