Marketplace Tech 3D printing was supposed to disrupt prosthetic costs. It hasn’t.
Dec 9, 2025
Britt Young, a writer and lecturer at UC Berkeley, provides a unique insight into the world of prosthetics, using her own experience with a prosthetic arm. She explains why 3D printing, although promising, hasn’t significantly reduced costs due to durability issues and the high expense of professional fitting. Young discusses the role of insurance in limiting access to advanced prosthetic technologies and emphasizes the need to reclassify prosthetics as assistive devices to lower barriers. She also touches on the potential for 3D printing in low-resource areas, highlighting both its promise and challenges.
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3D Printing’s Hidden Professional Costs
- 3D printing promised low-cost DIY prosthetics but many hobbyist designs are fragile and uncomfortable.
- Professional additive manufacturing often uses expensive $1M machines and high upkeep that keeps costs high.
Denied Approval For A Simple Arm Attachment
- Britt Young tried to get approval for a cheap plastic activity attachment for weightlifting and insurance denied it as "not necessary."
- She found insurance logic inconsistent despite the device being simple and low-cost.
Novelty More Than Capability
- 3D-printed prosthetics often don't offer capabilities beyond traditional devices; they mainly introduce new materials and styles.
- Their market value currently hinges on increased availability and design variety, not superior function.