Fraunhofer-led NaRo-3D project delivers biobased 3‑D‑printed prosthetic shafts in Germany

The NaRo‑3D research project, involving the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA), bioworkstoff producer Tecnaro and orthopaedic company DOI ortho‑innovativ, has demonstrated a fully digital workflow for producing prosthetic shafts. Using biobased, 3‑D‑printable polymers—78 % biobased polyester and 100 % biobased polyamide—the team printed filaments whose mechanical properties match or exceed petroleum‑based equivalents, with two material variants reaching performance levels of titanium or carbon fibre.

The process separates patient measurement (via MRI, laser scanning or ultrasound) from manufacturing, allowing a digital prescription to be sent directly to a prosthetic provider through an app, a pilot currently rolled out in Bavaria. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Nutrition and Consumer Protection via the FNR agency, the project aims to close the gap for the estimated 65 million amputees worldwide, of whom only 5‑15 % in low‑ and middle‑income countries have access to a suitable prosthesis.