Last summer we brought you news from our partner ReSurge International and a group of students from Stanford University who were designing a special splint for burn victims.  We are delighted report that their splints are now undergoing trials in Nepal.  If you missed the first blog, you can read it here.
When someone has a severe deep-tissue burn on their palm, if they do not receive appropriate physical therapy, the scar tissue that forms will contract and their skin will tighten until their fingers clench into an immovable fist.
Each year ReSurge provides skin graft and reconstructive surgery for hundreds of burn victims at no cost. Unfortunately, many of the patients come from far away and are unable to return for follow up visits and do not receive physical therapy after their initial visit.  As a result many burns recontract and patients must return for follow up surgery.
The HandHero splint is designed to change this pattern.  In addition to being cheaper and easier to make than the current thermoplast splints, HandHero can be adjusted easily by the patient according to a treatment plan without the need for a follow up visit.

These photos show the very first Hand Heroine, the first patient to be fitted with the splint in Nepal, which was printed with 3D  printing technology. Based on what they saw, doctors who perform the surgeries are considering trying the splints for pre-surgery therapy to help the patients’ tendons stretch.
You can learn more about Hand Hero on their website.
We’ll bring you more as we hear it.
~Michael and Frida Donner