Three hospitals in the Girona Health Region successfully test 3D printed splints for the treatment of wrist fractures

Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Professionals from the Olot and Garrotxa Hospital Foundation, the TIC Salut i Social Foundation and the Center for Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CTTI) have presented the results of the 3D Splints study for immobilization in distal radius fractures. This is a pilot test, developed over 12 months on 31 patients treated in the emergency rooms of the hospitals of Olot, Blanes and Campdevànol, who presented with a distal radius fracture, a fairly common type of wrist injury.

As Carme Pratdepàdua, area manager and project coordinator at the TIC Salut i Social Foundation, points out, “the study supports that 3D printed splints can become a safe, efficient, more sustainable and patient-focused alternative. Therefore, they represent an opportunity for innovation with tangible benefits for the health system.“

The principal investigator of the study and head of the Traumatology and Orthopaedic Surgery Service of the Olot and Comarcal Hospital Foundation of La Garrotxa, Dr. Manel Vancells, highlights that this type of immobilization “is a useful option in fractures without displacement or with minimal displacement, and that in these cases it can become the definitive treatment”. Furthermore, he points out that, in fractures with surgical indication —whether this is determined from the moment of the injury or in the evolutionary controls at 10-14 days—, “it has proven to be a useful and safe alternative, since it allows maintaining an adequate position of the joints and helps prevent secondary complications, such as stiffness or edema, often associated with other immobilization systems that are more dependent on the application technique, such as plaster splints or closed casts”.

For his part, the Secretary of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation, Albert Tort, highlighted that “this project exemplifies the potential of the GovTech model to promote innovation at the service of people. Collaboration between healthcare centers and technological partners allows us to test, validate and scale solutions with real impact, improving the quality of care, the efficiency of public services and sustainability. This is how we transform the health system: by committing to applied innovation and public-private cooperation to generate tangible value for citizens.“

Benefits of splints over plaster

Distal radius fractures are one of the most common orthopedic injuries, especially among adults and the elderly. In 2025 alone, 270 people were treated at the Olot Hospital for these injuries, which are usually treated provisionally or definitively with plaster as an immobilization method to provide stability to the fracture and allow adequate healing of the bone.

In this case, the study compared the results of 12 patients treated with plaster and 19 patients immobilized with a 3D splint, from a clinical, healthcare, economic and environmental perspective. The splints were previously printed in four different sizes, and are made of photopolymerizable resin; a lightweight material that facilitates ventilation of the affected area, allows better hygiene compared to plaster, does not generate hospital waste and makes it possible to reuse them later.

In addition to these previously known benefits, patients reported a 75% reduction in pain felt at the last visit compared to the first, while in the case of the cast, this percentage fell to 20% less pain. Likewise, patients with the splint reported better comfort results, especially in terms of weight and comfort of immobilization.

In the healthcare field, the time needed by professionals to immobilize the fracture decreased by 42% in the case of the splints, with an average placement time of 3.13 minutes, compared to 5.48 minutes for the plaster cast.

Finally, in terms of sustainability and economic impact, the study shows potential savings in resources thanks to the reduction in care time, the partial reuse of devices and the lower consumption of water and materials, since in the case of plaster, an average of 15 liters of water are needed to place it, while in 3D printing it is not used. All in all, in the case of the Hospital d’Olot i la Garrotxa it is estimated that the 3D splint system would save 4,750 euros annually; a figure that according to the report presented, if extrapolated to the entire Catalan Health System, would mean an estimated annual saving of 625,000 euros. Following the good results, the TIC Salut i Social Foundation, the Hospital d’Olot i Comarcal de la Garrotxa Foundation and the CTTI are exploring the continuity of the project.

Experiences with 3D printing at SISCAT

After the presentation of the results of the report, a round table was held with those responsible for the application of 3D printing from the following SISCAT centers: the Hospital d’Olot i Comarcal de la Garrotxa Foundation, the Hospital de Sant Pau i la Santa Creu, the Hospital del Mar and the Hospital Clínic, the Hospital Parc Taulí, the Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Deu, the Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron and the Hospital Verge de la Cinta. In the session, they shared experiences, integration models, learnings and challenges linked to the use of this technology in different healthcare areas.