Toe Splint

thingiverse

My wife broke her toe and I was eager to help by printing a custom splint using my new 3D printer. I discovered a design created by laird that seemed perfect for the job, but I wanted to make some adjustments to suit our needs. The original design can be found on Thingiverse at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:38286. I went through four iterations to refine the design: Version 1 was crude and didn't provide adequate support, so it's not recommended. However, I included it for transparency into my design process. Version 2 offered more support by being longer on one side, with toe webbing allowing for better support on that side. This iteration improved upon Version 1's limitations. In Version 3, I added a slit to allow flexibility as the broken toe swells. Version 4 included holes at the end to promote airflow and reduce toe odor. My wife highly recommends this version, calling it her "toe hat." Using this splint is straightforward: simply print it in its standard form for the right foot or create a mirror image for the left side. Scale up or down as needed to achieve a comfortable fit. Once printed, gently place the splint on the toe and secure with tape. The walls of Versions 2-4 are only 1mm thick, providing sufficient support without causing discomfort on the foot.