Over the past decade, we’ve seen a major shift from plaster-based workflows to digital fabrication.
The promise of a faster turnaround, better reproducibility, and improved patient experience is the usual hook, but in reality, many clinics discover that digital fabrication introduces new complexities, not fewer. Digital doesn’t automatically mean simple – it means different
This webinar’s goal is simple: to walk through the entire digital fabrication workflow, step by step, and openly discuss what works well, what commonly goes wrong, and how those challenges can be mitigated.
We’ll also talk about why many clinics choose to work with a central manufacturing partner that can support them in the transition to a digital fabrication workflow.

The British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics, in collaboration with the Limbless Association, and LIMB-art, is launching “Design a Superhero with a Prosthetic Limb” for Key Stage 2 pupils across the UK .

This engaging project challenges students to design a prosthetic limb for a superhero, helping them explore engineering, design thinking, and the human impact of healthcare careers. Along the way, pupils also learn about the role of prosthetists and how science and creativity combine to change lives.

Why get involved

• Links directly to STEM learning and the Gatsby Benchmarks

• Supports PSHE themes of inclusion, resilience, and positive representation of disability

• Offers a meaningful encounter with a real healthcare profession

• Flexible for classroom, club, or enrichment use

Who can take part
All UK primary school pupils in Key Stage 2.

Prizes

• The winning student or group will see their design turned into a real LIMB-art prosthetic cover.

• The winning school will receive a £1,000 voucher to spend on resources or student activities.

• The winning entry will also be featured in BAPO’s national magazine and online platforms.

Key dates

• Entries close: 29 May 2026

• Winner announced by: 30 June 2026

Entries are submitted by schools via a simple online form, and pupils can enter using drawings, models, or digital designs.

All competition materials, including lesson-friendly resources and full guidance, are available in the competition pack.

 

As digital technologies continue to reshape healthcare, Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) must critically examine what “digital” truly means for professional practice, workforce development, and patient care. The discussion will consider digital technology not as a replacement for clinical skill, craftsmanship, or professional judgement, but as a refinement and extension of the existing P&O skill set. Set against the backdrop of the NHS 10-Year Plan (2025–2035), Fit for the Future—which places technology at the centre of healthcare transformation and a shift from “analogue to digital”—the session will examine what this direction means specifically for P&O services. As the NHS seeks to reduce administrative burden, enable new ways of working, and empower patients through digital pathways, the profession must begin to reimagine what contemporary practice looks like.

Details

The session will outline how the service was designed to bridge the gap between acute care and recovery, with a strong focus on improving patient outcomes and quality of life following hospital discharge. Key elements of the service include holistic patient assessment, ongoing clinical review, spinal brace management, and coordinated support tailored to individual patient needs.

Attendees will gain insight into the rationale for the service, challenges encountered during development, and the clinical and patient-centred benefits observed.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the need for structured post-discharge follow-up in MSCC care
• Describe a holistic approach to MSCC patient assessment and support
• Recognise the role of spinal bracing management post discharge
• Consider how post-discharge services can enhance quality of life and continuity of care

Details

The webinar will present a case study exploring different treatment approaches for CTEV and their impact on patient outcomes. It will also highlight the speaker’s collaboration with researchers, their success in securing an Accelerator Award, and the ongoing work to strengthen the evidence base as they strive to drive a paradigm shift in treatment practice.

Details

This webinar will introduce participants to Ethnocare and its innovative prosthetic device, the Overlay.

Designed to address the challenges of limb volume fluctuations and socket fit issues, the Overlay uses an integrated air expansion system to provide amputees with customizable comfort and improved stability, mobility and performance throughout the day. The session will share the story behindEthnocare’s user-centered development process, present clinical evidence on the problems caused by current solutions, and demonstrate how the Overlayrepresents a simple, universal, and impactful advancement for both patients and clinicians.

Details

The 360⁰ Orthotics ecosystem is a comprehensive resource designed to support the prescription, design, manufacture and maintenance of complex AFOs and KAFOs. It empowers clinicians to deliver patient-centred care by combining structured guidance backed up with safety and warranty adherence, alongside the flexibility to apply clinical judgement. This balance ensures that interventions are safe, effective and tailored to individual needs.

The workflow adheres to established safety and quality standards, including the BAPO KAFO Standards, ensuring that all interventions meet professional and regulatory expectations. By streamlining processes and supporting decision-making, it enhances both clinical efficiency and patient outcomes. The orthoses maintenance schedule is clearly defined and easy to follow with full tutorial-based education from of each step from physical examination, planning the orthosis, casting, manufacture, setup and supply to ongoing maintenance. The patient’s ongoing care is therefore easily planned and cost expectations can be assessed, whilst providing a structure for supply of further interventions.

KAFOs and AFOs are one of the more complex aspects of orthotic care the 360⁰ Orthotics system provides a resource to guide clinicians and Technicians of all experience levels to achieve accurate, repeatable, safe and highly functional orthoses customised to suit the patient’s needs.