The Prosthetics & Orthotics Podcast

Tracking digital innovation as it evolves our profession and transforms patient care.

The Prosthetics and Orthotics Podcast is a deep dive into what 3D printing, additive manufacturing, software, and connected workflows mean for prosthetics and orthotics. Brent Wright and Joris Peels explore the technologies, people, and practical decisions reshaping the way we care for patients.

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Show snapshot

13

Current season

Digital O&P

Core focus

Brent + Joris

Hosts

Latest episodes

Recent conversations from the TPO archive.

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Brent Wright and Joris Peels

Hosts

Brent Wright and Joris Peels on the forces changing O&P.

Before visitors get into the latest episodes, this panel gives the show a stronger human anchor. It uses the host artwork as a dedicated feature instead of forcing it into one of the episode cards.

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Data-Driven Prosthetic Socket Fit with Matt Wernke, PhD
October 22, 2026Season 14Episode 6

Data-Driven Prosthetic Socket Fit with Matt Wernke, PhD

Socket comfort is still the problem that won’t go away, and “good hands” can only take you so far when patients need consistency, speed, and healthier tissue loading. We sit down with Matt Wernke, Director of Research and Development at WillowWood , to talk about what changes when prosthetic socket design becomes measurable and repeatable instead of mostly interpretive. Matt walks us through the real origin story: a Department of Defense funded clinical trial built to answer a blunt question, how should we distribute pressure on a residual limb in a way that protects skin health and reduces tissue injury? That research led to TIG, a handheld tool designed to quantify tissue stiffness, basically turning what clinicians already feel during palpation into data that can be used in a digital workflow. We talk outcomes, iteration, and why proving what you deliver matters as much as the design you intended. From there we get into the modern workflow: TIG measurements feeding into WillowWood’s revamped Omega platform, AI-assisted mapping of measurement sites onto a scan, and a socket recommendation the clinician can verify and personalize. We also dig into the practical benefits clinics actually care about, fewer disruptions for patients, stronger documentation over time, and the long-term roadmap of monitoring fit changes and even automatic adjustment at the interface. Along the way, we touch on how WillowWood uses 3D printing for prototyping, components, fixtures, and safety, plus a candid look at adoption and the fear of “replacing” craft instead of enhancing it. Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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Takeaways and Awards From The AOPA 2026 and Breakdown of Hanger<>NuMotion Merger with Joris and Brent
September 15, 2026Season 14Episode 5

Takeaways and Awards From The AOPA 2026 and Breakdown of Hanger<>NuMotion Merger with Joris and Brent

AOPA always shows you what’s next, but the real story is what people are trying to fix right now. We walk through our on-the-ground takeaways from the exhibit hall and the education tracks, starting with the shift from “look what we can print” to “how do we remove the worst friction in prosthetics and orthotics.” AI is popping up as a serious workflow tool for documentation, admin, and turnaround time, but we also talk about the non-negotiables: HIPAA, patient health information, and why bolt-on tools can create double work if systems don’t talk to each other. From there, we get practical. We shout out traditional manufacturing strength in areas like custom liners, break down why “cheap materials” aren’t the whole cost story, and highlight hardware that matters, including compact suction valve design that could make both traditional fabrication and 3D printed sockets cleaner. We also talk 3D printing in O&P with an honest lens: belt printers for foot orthoses, low-cost model printing, material limitations, and why controlled thermals in smaller build volumes can produce better parts. Finally, we zoom out to the business side with the Hanger and Numotion announcement and what it could mean for complex rehab technology, wheelchairs, seating, and the broader platform direction of patient care. We explore potential synergies, the clinician shortage, “care extender” models, and the uncomfortable reality of consolidation and private equity incentives. If you’re building, buying, or simply trying to deliver better patient outcomes in orthotics and prosthetics, this one is full of signals worth tracking. For the awards you will just have to listen! Special Thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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AOPA 2026 Vegas Show Survival Guide
September 2, 2026Season 14Episode 4

AOPA 2026 Vegas Show Survival Guide

If you’ve ever left a conference thinking, “I talked to a lot of people but learned very little,” this one is for you. We’re getting practical about AOPA and how to work a prosthetics and orthotics trade show with purpose, so you come home with better contacts, clearer buying decisions, and real ideas you can apply in your clinic or lab. We share our rules for protecting your calendar: don’t take in-person meetings you could handle online, cluster appointments by location, and spend your booth time on what the internet cannot give you. That means hands-on testing, honest conversations, and questions vendors rarely put on a website, like pricing, leasing, daily throughput, material costs, and failure rates. We also talk about why you should seek technical people, not just sales reps, and how simple kindness and random hallway chats can lead to long-term partnerships. From there, we zoom out to what we’re watching at AOPA across 3D printing and additive manufacturing in O&P: printer ecosystems, automation, and where digital manufacturing actually improves margins without tying up a traditional fabrication lab. We call out the underrated “outside booths” with handwritten signs, university research tables, and early-stage materials that might become tomorrow’s standard. We even add a quick warning about hotel solicitation scams so your trip planning doesn’t become a costly mistake. Subscribe for more conversations on prosthetics, orthotics, additive manufacturing, 3D printing workflows, and patient-focused innovation, then share this with a colleague heading to AOPA and leave a review. What’s the one question you always wish you could ask vendors face to face? Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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Inside AOPA: Advocacy, Education, and the National Assembly with Teri Kuffel, JD
August 19, 2026Season 14Episode 3

Inside AOPA: Advocacy, Education, and the National Assembly with Teri Kuffel, JD

The hardest part of orthotics and prosthetics is not always the clinical decision. Sometimes it’s getting paid, staying compliant, and keeping a clinic running while everything around you changes. We sit down with Teri Kuffel, JD, Executive Director of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA), to talk about the business engine behind patient care and why so many of today’s practice challenges cannot be solved inside the walls of a single facility. Teri shares her unusual path into O&P through operations, contracting, and advocacy, then gets specific about what makes an O&P practice succeed. We dig into clinic scale and leadership, why a startup often needs both a strong clinical mind and a strong business mind, and how payer contracting and reimbursement realities can make “billing” very different from “getting paid.” We also discuss smart location planning using geo access searches and market research, plus real-world financing options from private investment and bank loans to partnerships and private equity. We then zoom out to AOPA’s role in the profession: advocacy and government relations, coding and reimbursement support, regulatory guidance, education, and the value of bringing stakeholders together when reimbursement pressure, workforce constraints, outcomes measurement, and digital O&P care are all moving fast. Teri also previews the AOPA National Assembly, including hands-on technology in the exhibit hall and the growing focus on digitization, CAD workflows, and additive manufacturing. Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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What the show covers

Where clinical reality, software, materials, and manufacturing meet.

Across hundreds of conversations, TPO has consistently returned to the issues that matter most: changing workflows, economic pressures, and better patient care. The podcast examines how clinicians, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and patients are navigating a rapidly evolving prosthetics and orthotics landscape.

Scanning to fit

Digital workflows that hold up in clinic

From phone-based scanning to CAD, automation, and fabrication, the show follows how digital tools actually move from demos into patient care.

Business and policy

Reimbursement, documentation, and operations

Episodes tackle L-codes, payer dynamics, note quality, software adoption, and the economic tradeoffs clinics face every day.

Global perspective

Innovation beyond one market

Guests range from founders and researchers to clinicians and operators working across the US, Europe, the Gulf, Africa, and beyond.

Meet the hosts

Two longtime observers of how additive manufacturing changes care delivery.

While TPO often explores the industry's shift toward digital workflows, the podcast is ultimately about the people leading that change. Hosts Brent Wright and Joris Peels sit down with innovators, clinicians, business leaders, and patients to share stories, challenge assumptions, and discuss the technologies transforming prosthetics and orthotics.

“Brent brings the clinical and practical lens, keeping each conversation grounded in what helps providers and patients in the real world.”

Brent Wright / Co-host, The Prosthetics and Orthotics Podcast

“Joris tracks the manufacturing, software, and materials side, connecting industry shifts to the future of prosthetic and orthotic production.”

Joris Peels / Co-host, The Prosthetics and Orthotics Podcast

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FAQ

Quick answers for listeners and industry readers.

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What is the show about?

TPO focuses on how digitization is reshaping prosthetics and orthotics, including 3D printing, software, scanning, materials, reimbursement, and clinical workflows.

Where can I listen?

The show is hosted on Buzzsprout and syndicated to major podcast platforms.