Case Study: LifeNabled (nonprofit prosthetics provider) achieves scalable delivery of 35 custom 3D-printed prosthetic sockets in Guatemala with nTopology

Walking on the World’s Most Advanced 3D Printed Prosthetics in the Jungles of Guatemala

LifeNabled, a non-profit that delivers prosthetic solutions in northern Guatemala, faced the challenge of replacing labor‑intensive, expertise‑heavy traditional manufacturing with a scalable, cost‑effective digital workflow to produce custom 3D‑printed prosthetic sockets with flexible inner liners. They turned to nTopology’s software and reusable design workflows to automate the process from 3D scan to production-ready files, enabling rapid customization while avoiding legacy tool crashes and long processing times.

nTopology implemented reusable, semi‑automated workflows that let engineers precisely control lattice parameters (beam thickness, porosity) to create comfortable, flexible TPU foam liners and generate error‑free STL files for HP MJF printing. The result: 35 patients in Guatemala fitted within a month, design processing reduced to one day of automated work and three days of digital fabrication, more than a day of computational time saved, higher‑quality parts, and a repeatable, scalable process for future clinics.

LifeNabled

Brent Wright

Co-Founder and Clinical Director