A stunning breakthrough has been achieved with 3D printing, that will help amputees in Uganda and potentially across the developing world.

A new method of creating prosthetic limb sockets has enabled a three-year-old child to be quickly fitted with a prosthetic limb and socket, at a fraction of the normal cost. The charities and technologists involved expect the work to lead to a significant change in how patients are helped, with costs eventually cut from $5,000 to $250 per prosthetic fit.

For the project, the University of Toronto is working with Christian Blind Mission – a non-governmental organization that helps people with disabilities in developing countries – as well as software supplier Autodesk ADSK -0.84% and the CoRSU rehabilitation hospital in Mpigi, Uganda. Professor Matt Ratto, of the University of Toronto’s faculty of information, tells Forbes that 3D printing offers "a faster way to create prosthetics”, with the time to completion cut "from one week to approximately one or two days”. The fit of such sockets is also improved – something that was often a problem with traditional methods and caused some wearers great discomfort.

In order to create each fitting, the plaster-based casting part is replaced with scanning and digital modeling, and the thermoplastic moulding or fibreglass layout is replaced with 3D printing. A 3D scan of a residual limb can be sent within seconds to a prosthetist who can design a replacement, sending that file back to the hospital be printed.

Saving this time is vital, Professor Ratto explains, because "even if the prosthetic limb and fitting is fully paid for by government of philanthropy, it is difficult for people in a subsistence economy to leave their farms or jobs for a week to get it”. In addition, he says, reducing the time "also means that the prosthetists in the developing world can produce more prosthetics”.

In order to operate the technology, the standard prosthetics skillset "is still required”, but it does allow those with the skills to be more productive. "Our toolchain includes an inexpensive 3D scanner, a standard laptop with our Socketmixer software, and a home or small business type 3D printer,” totalling about $6,000 in value, he says.

In spite of the initial costs involved, the efficiency gains and quickly reduced cost of production make it a useful investment for hospitals. And with the "availability of low-cost 3D scanning and printing technology”, and the development of new materials for 3D printing, there is huge potential development for the future.