3D printer gives boy in Kentucky a bionic hand

A 6-year-old Kentucky boy born with a malformed right hand because of a rare disorder has received what he called his best Christmas gift ever — a “bionic” prosthetic made from 3-D printing technology.

Lucas Abraham, who has wanted a working right hand since he was two years old, showed off the new prosthetic made by University of Louisville bioengineering students.

“It’s better than every gift that I’ve ever had before,” Lucas told a news conference at the university on Wednesday.

Gina Bertocci, a University of Louisville bioengineering professor, said Lucas’ hand was the first created by the school for a child and that more could be produced. The university described it as “bionic”.

The printer technology greatly reduces the manufacturing cost and the plastics used are similar to those in Lego blocks, allowing the devices to be produced in various colours, Bertocci said. Children like it because it makes them look like a Transformer, she added, saying: “Everyone wants to show off their hardware.”