3D printed prosthetics have been changing lives in some of the more technology-affluent areas of the world for some time now. Yet. this week, the Gulf Region saw only its first fully 3D printed prosthetic leg fitted on a British expat, who severely damaged her left leg after a horse riding accident in her early 20s.
At the age of 40, Belinda Gatland made the decision to have the leg amputated after nine operations, which did little to reinstate her full mobility. For nearly two decades, Gatland suffered. Her leg had twisted during the accident, which happened back in the UK. The bones below her knee had shattered, and necrosis – the premature death of tissue or bone cells – beleaguered her into her 40s.
With her leg amputated, Gatland began wearing conventional prosthetics for a time, funded by the UK’s NHS. But in order to maintain the active lifestyle she wanted, Gatland had to look for alternatives, having to pay for more advanced prosthetics privately and out of her own pocket.
Now residing in Dubai, UAE, Gatland has been fortunate enough to be fitted with an advanced prosthetic, paid for by Informa and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The leg was produced in multiple parts, in multiple countries (Germany and Bulgaria), but has so far proved its worth.
“The potential of 3D printing in the field of prosthetic devices is huge,” said Sebastien Giede, the Certified Orthopaedic Prosthetist with Mediclinic who fitted Gatland with the leg. “It allows for faster turnaround times, more personalisation in terms of both design and functionality, as well as great flexibility when it comes to replacement.”
Gatland added: “This new technology is unbelievable. I’m really impressed with the foot I’ve got. It feels very real, and it’s very comfortable.”
Typically, conventional prosthetics in Dubai cost Dh20,000. High-end prosthetics, the sort Gatland was seeking to enable her to remain active, can cost up to four times as much. A 3D printed prosthetic, meanwhile, can bring that expense back down to around Dh40,000. For Gatland, it was free – the DHA counting the gifted prosthetic towards the donations made as part of its initiatives for the United Arab Emirates’ nationwide Year of Giving.
“The DHA has prioritised fostering the development of future technologies such as 3D printing in health care,” said Humaid Al Qutami, chairman of the board and director-general of DHA. “We are keen to bring in the latest technology in medicine to further bolster patient-centric care and improve the lives of our patients to the best extent possible.”
Though only with her new leg for a week, Gatland is pretty impressed. When recalling her struggles earlier in her life, exacerbated by the lofty costings of high-end prosthetics, she said: “It’s an expensive thing to be an amputee.” Thanks to DHA, Informa and Mediclinic, the burden of cost has not only been removed, but so too the constraint she’s endured since the accident in her early 20s.