The “One arm for Margot” project aims to develop 3D-printed prostheses suited to the developmental needs of children from the age of six months, seeking to support the cognitive mapping of the prosthesis and the healthy, symmetrical development of the child’s body.

This project is being developed in collaboration with the Dona Estefânia pediatric hospital, seeking to respond to the need for prostheses suitable for children born with congenital deformities. 3D print technology makes it possible to develop prostheses more rapidly and affordably, facilitating the introduction of prostheses earlier in the child’s life, as well as their adaptation to growth, which is believed to be an essential factor in reducing the rejection rate.

Margot was born with part of her right arm missing. This amputation resulted from a congenital deformity caused by an amniotic bridle. Amniotic bridles are fibrous bands that form in the amniotic sac, a structure that surrounds and protects the fetus inside the womb. When one of these bridles wraps around a part of the fetus’s body, it can strangle and restrict the growth of that part, resulting in a deformity.

Amniotic bridles can cause various complications, depending on where they are located and how they restrict development. Some of these complications include limb malformations (such as fused or missing fingers), scarring, tissue constrictions and, in more severe cases, loss of limbs or other significant deformities. The severity and nature of the deformation depends on how tight the bridle is and how long it affects the fetus during its development.