Create it REAL to showcase 3D-printed wheelchair seat cushions with programmable foam at OT World 2026

Danish orthopaedic technology provider Create it REAL will demonstrate 3D-printed wheelchair seat cushions using its programmable foam technology at OT World 2026 in Leipzig. The company, based in Aalborg, has partnered with French clinical group Groupe Tolda, which operates multiple clinics in the Marseille area and a print-on-demand service for orthopaedic products. The cushions use additively manufactured grid and cell structures that allow local tuning of mechanical properties — flexibility, stiffness, and air permeability — to address pressure distribution and moisture buildup. Jeremie Gay, representing Create it REAL, stated that the innovation aims to serve a clinical purpose by reducing manual labor and carbon footprint versus traditional foam manufacturing.

This application sits at the intersection of medical-dental vertical demand and polymer material extrusion or vat photopolymerization process segments, though Create it REAL does not disclose its specific AM process. The programmable foam approach directly addresses a persistent clinical problem: heat and moisture accumulation between skin and cushion, which elevates pressure injury risk for patients with limited mobility. The partnership with Groupe Tolda reflects a recurring pattern in medical AM — localized, patient-specific production tied to clinical workflows — similar to how Align Technology scaled Invisalign through digital design and distributed manufacturing. The key challenge here is not technical feasibility but integration into existing care pathways and reimbursement structures, a hurdle that has limited many orthotic and prosthetic AM applications to pilot scale.

For Create it REAL, the decisive factor at OT World will be whether clinicians and payers see enough evidence of reduced pressure injury rates to justify switching from conventional foam. The company must demonstrate that programmable foam delivers measurable clinical outcomes, not just design flexibility. Without published peer-reviewed data or a clear path to regulatory clearance, this remains a promising prototype rather than a proven care standard.