Custom-made medical corsets are widely prescribed to correct spinal deformities or to relieve pain following back surgery. The medical corset is effective in treating scoliosis, kyphosis and lordosis provided it is perfectly adjusted. Therefore, the challenge in the field of orthopedics remains to offer the most suitable product for the patient.
However, this is no longer a sufficient condition. Today, we must take into account the evolution of customs and new technologies. The orthopedic sector must be able to combine patient experience, expertise and digitalization. Thus, it is no longer a question of tape measure or molding, but of a measurement solution coupled with 3 D: 3D acquisition, 3D reconstruction, 3D modeling, 3D printing… Discover in this article the 3 steps to prescribe a custom medical corset from a mobile application.
Why wear a medical corset?
What is an orthopedic corset?
An orthopedic corset is a medical device to improve (or stabilize) spinal disorders. It is worn against the body (under or over clothing) to immobilize the spine in a specific position. Thus, an orthopedic corset provides external support to keep the body in proper alignment.
There are different types of medical corsets:
- Lumbar support corset;
- Oval corset;
- Thoracolumbar support corset;
- Minerva corset.
They are prescribed by a general practitioner or an orthopedist-orthotist.
What is a lumbar corset?
Like a lumbar belt, the lumbar corset is recommended to maintain the lower back and limit the movements of the lumbar vertebrae. This corset is prescribed in the context of a strict immobilization of the lumbar spine, a lumbar vertebral compression, a postoperative contention, a lumbago or a sciatica.
What is a corset for?
A custom-made medical corset is recommended :
- to immobilize the spine to improve spinal alignment;
- to help relieve pain by reducing pressure on nerves and muscles.
A medical corset is recommended to alleviate a pathology related to the back, such as scoliosis, lumbar osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, kyphosis (excessive curvature of the spine), etc.
What are the criteria to consider when prescribing a custom-made medical corset?
The criteria for prescribing a corset are the patient’s age, body morphology, level of mobility, pathology and anatomical factors. Based on this information, the physician will determine a custom-made medical corset for the patient.
Proper measurement is essential to identify the size and shape of the corset. The corset must be as close as possible to the body’s shape to be effective. It must also be tight enough to hold the spine in place.
When to wear a back corset?
In order to treat back pathology or to relieve back pain, wearing a corset is recommended. It acts as a supportorthosis. It stabilizes the body part.
The wearing duration varies according to the prescription. For example, the corset can be worn for 20 to 25 minutes a day at first. Then, after a few weeks, the duration increases. Treatments can last several months. This is why it is essential to have a custom-made device that fits the body as well as possible in order to be effective in its support function while remaining comfortable.
What are the 3 steps to prescribe a custom-made medical corset?
There are three steps to follow when prescribing a custom-made medical corset.
1/ First, precise measurements must be taken, such as the patient’s thoracic circumference and the height of the thoracic contour.
2/ Then, the measurements are processed to choose the type of corset according to the patient’s pathology.
3/ Finally, the custom-made corset is designed before being delivered to the patient.
Thanks to a technological innovation, this process is simplified while ensuring better acquisition of the patient’s measurements. Indeed, the use of 3D scanning is revolutionizing the orthopedic market! Discover the 3 steps that allow you to automate the prescription of a custom-made corset from a mobile application.
Step 1: Digital acquisition of the torso
The first step is to measure the patient’s torso.
MyFit Solutions has developed a technology to make 3D scanning as intuitive as possible. For this, the 3D acquisition of the torso is done from a mobile application. The innovation is based on a tool already available in the pockets of patients and health professionals: the smartphone. Its use is obvious since it is now handled daily by individuals.
Moreover, the solution offers a simplified user interface that combines ergonomics and the power of artificial intelligence. Thus, 3D guides in augmented reality have been implemented. These guides, coupled with algorithms, ensure millimeter-level measurement accuracy and a very high scan repeatability rate.
The use of the smartphone allows for easy acquisition, anywhere, and performed by anyone. For a torso scan, a minimum of two people are needed to scan the entire torso. The patient can not do it alone, but he has the option of using a health professional
- A prescribing physician
In this case, the patient is directly accompanied by a professional who sends the 3D reconstruction to the orthopedist. The doctor or his or her assistant can then perform the scan directly at the office or hospital and transmit the data automatically to the manufacturer.
- An orthopedist-orthotist
In this case, it is especially the taking of measurements, the molding that changes. Indeed, the measurements are recovered in a simple, accurate and reproducible way with the 3D body scan.
Most 3D scans performed to date are of mediocre quality with many artifacts. The technological process developed by MyFit Solutions allows to greatly improve the repeatability of quality scans, with an acquisition also simplified for the professional.
Step 2: 3D reconstruction of a torso to define an orthopedic corset
The 3D reconstruction is the second step. At MyFit Solutions it is :
- Accessible to all:
Thanks to our technology, healthcare professionals can manage all of their patients’ 3D scans on a web platform, take measurements, use the 3D models in other tools…
- At scale:
The use of 3D scanning offers the possibility to recommend an orthopedic corset size or go even further to the definition of custom products.
- Accurate:
Our 3D models have an average accuracy of one millimeter.
- Remote:
3D reconstruction can be accessible by anyone! Using a mobile application on a smartphone, it is possible to scan the patient remotely from anywhere (at home, at a doctor’s office…).
The results of the measurements are then sent to the practitioner who obtains the 3D model.
Step 3: Modeling the custom-made corset
Once the 3D reconstruction is obtained, it is possible to model a custom medical corset taking into account the different measurements of the torso, its size and the morphology of the patient.
Using MyFit Solutions technology, the medical device company can:
- Create custom corsets directly;
- Recommend a standard corset size.
What are the benefits of mobile digital acquisition?
By opting for a digital solution, everyone wins.
On the one hand, healthcare professionals are adopting a solution :
- simple, the 3D acquisition is done from a mobile application available on smartphone ;
- precise: the measurements obtained have an average accuracy of one millimeter.
- guided: the application provides a totally intuitive and guided experience to facilitate the measurement by the professional.
- with a high repeatability rate, and therefore good first time measurements.
On the other hand, patients benefit from a measurement:
- without physical contact, in the long run, no need to go to a specialist to make a trunk cast;
- fast, the scan is quick and simple. For remote measurements, no need to wait for an appointment.
And online actors/manufacturers design a custom product or recommend a size remotely while being assured:
- to decrease return rates (and therefore decrease related costs) ;
- to be a forerunner on the market;
- and improve customer satisfaction.
