Hong Kong hospital to use 3D printer to make braces for children with crippling scoliosis

Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital will use a 3D printer to make braces for patients suffering a spinal condition – a breakthrough that will slash waiting times and benefit 275 youngsters in the coming year.

In announcing details of its 2015/2016 annual plan, the Hong Kong West group of hospitals also said it would hire 300 more staff – mostly nurses – to combat shortages and growing demand for medical services.

Scoliosis patients now have to wait up to four months for a brace – to treat curvature of the spine – but the new machine will cut production time to a matter of hours as patients will no longer have to undergo plaster-casting. Waiting times will be shortened to around six weeks.

The machine will arrive at the hospital in Sandy Bay, Pok Fu Lam, late next month. Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, which also treats scoliosis, has already adopted similar technology.

Every year about 1,500 scoliosis patients are referred to the two public hospitals.