Buttercup is a duck born with a deformed left foot causing it to improperly bear weight leading to cuts, infections and painful gait. This duck quacks happily now thanks to 3D printing that gave it a prosthetic leg and foot.
Buttercup was born in a biology lab and later on turned over to Mike Garey of the Tennessee-based organization Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary.
"When he would walk outside, his leg would start bleeding. I knew Buttercup would be better off as a peg-leg duck than a duck with a disabled foot,' Garey said in an interview with USA Today.
Before attempting anything drastic, Garey even tried physical therapy for Buttercup. The treatment turned the backward left foot a bit but was not able to resolve it.
In February, the duck's leg was amputated. The healing process for the peg leg took until April when Buttercup re-learned how to walk using the stump.
While Buttercup was recovering from the surgery, Garey considered 3D printing to replace the foot of the duck. He researched for different companies that can help with the 3D printed prosthesis for Buttercup and opted to collaborate with NovaCopy, a 3D reseller in Tennessee.
According to GizMag, NovaCopy decided that the ideal material for the prosthesis will be silicone instead the usual printing material of the technology made of rigid plastics. The flexibility of the silicone will give Buttercup more flexibility to help it be more functional.
"This version will have a stretchy silicone sock instead of the finger trap, which will roll up on his leg, be inserted into the foot and then have a fastener in the bottom," explained Garey when asked by CNET.
On June 19, NovaCopy sent Garey the foot design for Buttercup and by June 25 received the prototype of Buttercup's prosthesis. On June 27, Buttercup was ready to create a mold for the sock and foot. As of reporting, the mold of the prosthesis is setting and should be completed by June 30.
The 3D printed prosthesis for Buttercup is just one of the many possibilities of the booming technology. NovaCopy also engages in other 3D applications for medical, industrial, consumer, and aerospace purposes.
