BeiQing Medical leads drafting of T/CAME 91-2026 group standard for 3D-printed scoliosis orthoses
Originally reported by 南极熊
BeiQing Medical (北清医疗) led the drafting of the T/CAME 91-2026 group standard for customized additive-manufactured scoliosis orthoses for children and adolescents, officially released in early 2026. The standard specifies design requirements, material selection criteria, and testing protocols for 3D-printed medical braces intended to correct spinal curvature in pediatric patients. This is a group standard under the China Association of Medical Equipment (CAME), making it a voluntary industry benchmark rather than a mandatory national regulation, but one that carries significant weight for procurement and clinical adoption within Chinese hospitals.
This development fits squarely within the medical-dental vertical's ongoing qualification grind, where standards reduce adoption friction for hospitals and insurers. For pediatric scoliosis orthoses, traditional plaster-cast fabrication is labor-intensive, uncomfortable, and often requires multiple fitting visits. Additive manufacturing - specifically polymer powder bed fusion (SLS) and vat photopolymerization (SLA/DLP) - enables patient-specific lattice structures that are lighter, more breathable, and biomechanically tunable. The standard addresses a real gap: without agreed-upon design and testing criteria, hospitals could not confidently prescribe 3D-printed braces, and manufacturers could not scale production. BeiQing Medical positions itself as the standards-setter in this niche, which is a classic IP lock-in grind pattern - embedding its design and material specifications into the qualification framework creates a durable competitive moat. Competitors such as Shanghai MedTech and Weigao Orthopedic will now need to either adopt the BeiQing-led standard or develop their own, fragmenting the market.
Practically, this standard lowers the barrier for Chinese hospitals to adopt 3D-printed scoliosis orthoses as a reimbursable treatment option. The real test will be whether BeiQing Medical can convert standard authorship into commercial contracts with provincial hospital procurement centers. For buyers, the standard provides a clear technical baseline for evaluating brace quality, but they should still verify that individual products meet the testing protocols rather than assuming compliance by association. This is a meaningful step for pediatric orthopedics in China, but it remains a group standard - not a national GB or YY standard - so adoption will be gradual and hospital-by-hospital.
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