People with amputations in rural Sierra Leone: the impact of 3D-printed prostheses

Abstract

We report the case of a man with a transhumeral amputation in a rural area of Sierra Leone. The patient had fractured his humerus during a football match. Due to lack of transportation and medical centres nearby, the patient was seen by a traditional healer. Although the traditional healer expected the fractured bone to heal within 3 days, the open fracture became infected. This finally resulted in a transhumeral amputation. The patient began to have a lack of self-confidence and felt excluded from society. He could not afford a conventionally fabricated prosthesis. Fourteen years later, the patient received a lightweight three-dimensional-printed arm prosthesis developed at the Masanga Hospital. The patient was very satisfied because the prosthesis met his criteria of aesthetics and functionality. His story highlights the socioeconomic hardship of being a person with an amputation in Sierra Leone and the need for affordable technological solutions.