Designing Personalized Toe Spreaders for Hallux Valgus with Three-Dimensional Scanning and Printing

The aim of this study is to make personalized toe spreaders for hallux valgus with 3D scanning and printing with a low cost. Eight patients (14 feet) with hallux valgus participated in our study and were scanned with a 3D scanner. After designing toe spreaders with a modeling program, we made toe spreaders using a 3D printing technique with the selective laser sintering method. The hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) were compared before and after wear. Changes in the HVA and IMA after wearing the toe spreader were significantly different (P<0.001 and P=0.034). The total amount of time to make a customized toe spreader was approximately seven hours and the total price was approximately 50 dollars. Personalized toe spreaders for hallux valgus made with 3D scanning and 3D printing techniques improved the HVA and IMA. This suggests the possibility of the commercial use of 3D printed customized toe spreaders for hallux valgus.