A five-year-old girl from Exton is about to ride her bike for the first time with her two older brothers, thanks to 3D printing and the wonders it has done in the field of prosthetics, writes Bridget Butler Millsaps for 3Dprinting.com.

Emmy Hoffman of Exton, whose mother wrote the book ‘Emmy’s Amazing Hand’, was born with symbrachydactyly, a condition that affects one in around 32,000 births and can result in a baby being born with missing or shortened fingers.

“Before you are faced with this situation, ‘normal’ is 10 fingers, 10 toes,” said Thomas Hoffman, Emmy’s father. “Emmy’s as normal as the other two. She’s just made differently. One son has red hair, the other has blonde; she has a difference with her fingers. My definition of normal has changed.”

While the condition has never stopped Emmy from excelling in many areas, the new prosthetic gives her the chance to try things that were simply out of reach due to functionality. The family has been working with family friend Eric Shoemaker, an Ability Prosthetics specialist, to ensure Emmy is fitted with the best 3D prosthetic for her right hand. Ability, which has offices in Exton, has already printed over a dozen such prosthetics.

Emmy is an example of how much children have prospered from 3D printed prosthetics as the customization options are virtually limitless. With the initial cost under $500, and relatively inexpensive follow-up adjustments, many families can now afford prosthetics.

“This hand is very simple,” said Shoemaker, “when Emmy flexes her wrist, the cables tighten and flex the fingers so the hand closes, and she will be better able to grasp objects.”

Read more about the process at 3Dprinting.com here.