We explore how pricing, policy, and 3D printing are reshaping orthotics and prosthetics from the UK to the Gulf and across Africa. Hugh Sheridan shares hard truths about aid that bypasses clinics and a road map for sustainable, locally led care.
• roots in shoe materials evolving into O&P supply chains
• UK reimbursement pressures and the pivot to prefabs and 3D printing
• UAE as a hub versus Saudi growth and privatisation
• pediatric disability needs and cultural barriers to access
• why direct aid can starve local clinics of patients and revenue
• franchise-style partnerships as a sustainable aid model
• China and Turkey’s rising role in components and materials
• open materials, SLS/MJF economics, and avoiding lock-in
• central fabrication versus in-clinic making and clinician psychology
• direct scanning, hybrid workflows, and protecting clinical value
Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.
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