dingo
Wrist fracture reduction orthosis
Dingo has been designed to help traumatologists and assistants to realign the broken wrist bone, reducing time and human effort.
design process
01
RESEARCH
02
design
03
manufacture
01 research.
The investigation took place in different trauma centers were we did observations and interviews to the doctors and pacients. We also did a lot of second source research and analysis.
findings
distal radius ulna fractures in trauma centers
most common fracture
it takes 8h to treat the fracture
45min average between cases
34% young patients
50% elderly patients
personas
-
Traumatologist
OBJECTIVES: perform realigment and casting in less than an hour, without much effort. He wishes that anyone can perform the maneuver without his help in case he is in another emergency.
FEARS: performing the maneuver in a wrong way that would cause worst problems to the patient.
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Trauma resident
OBJECTIVES: learn from the best professionals and become a great traumatologist.
FEARS: being alone when doing the bone realigment as she would have to do a lot of effort. If she gets it wrong, the maneuver will have to be repeted until the bone is correctly placed.
-
eldery patient
OBJECTIVES: get the wrist fracture fixed as soon as possible without pain.
FEARS: having the wrist wrongly fixed and ending up in surgery.
-
Young patient
OBJECTIVES: get the wrist fixed so that he can play soon again.
FEARS: having a lot of pain while realigning the bone and being mistreated by the doctors.
situation
realigment procedure
manual
assisted
pain points
professional
manual
assisted
patient
product
problem definition
personas
Current methods for performing distal radius fracture reductions—both manual and assisted—pose significant challenges for medical staff and potential health risks for patients.
In the manual procedure, a team of three (one doctor and two trauma residents) is required to apply a sustained traction force equivalent to 10% of the patient’s body weight for approximately 15 minutes. This force is applied throughout the traction, bone realignment, and casting process. After the cast is applied, the patient must undergo radiographic imaging to verify the reduction. This entire process can take up to 45 minutes and often leads to musculoskeletal strain, including tendinitis and back pain in traumatologists due to sustained force and poor posture. If the alignment is incorrect, the cast must be removed, and the entire procedure repeated—wasting time and increasing risk to both patient and staff.
In the assisted procedure, a traction device (such as a wrist reductor) allows the maneuver to be performed by a single professional. While this reduces personnel requirements, the doctor still maintains awkward postures throughout the process, leading to muscle fatigue. Additionally, the gripping mechanism can cause pain and discomfort for the patient.
In both approaches, an incorrect reduction increases the risk of long-term complications such as osteoarthritis, deformities, and joint dysfunction, underscoring the critical need for improved tools and techniques.
product
The wrist reductor presents several maintenance and usability challenges. Its constant exposure to moisture and plaster residues leads to rust and mechanical degradation over time. To prevent this, doctors must clean the device after every use, but the high volume of daily procedures makes it difficult to maintain consistent cleaning routines.
Moreover, the device’s bulky and appearance often induces anxiety in patients before treatment. Its non-portable design also prevents patients from moving and performing X-ray verification with it. As a result, if the bone is not properly realigned, the patient must endure a second wrist traction procedure, repeating the entire process again
solution
new design
02 design.
With the requirements defined, conceptualization and ideation began. We first started by sketching, mockuping and iterating every idea with patients and professionals.
ideation
Initial ideas were sketched on paper and then transformed into mockups to validate them with both patients and professionals. The conceptualization phase, along with its validation by trauma specialists, was essential for gathering feedback. This iterative process allowed for continuous improvement, ultimately leading to a more refined and accurate product.
prototyping
Numerous mockups were developed before arriving at the final prototype, as real-world validation of ergonomics and proportions was essential. The process began with hand-crafted models using expanded polypropylene foam, cardboard, and high-impact polystyrene, and culminated in a fully 3D-printed prototype.
iteration
Weekly iterations were conducted with trauma professionals to gather feedback, which was essential to refine the final design.
03 manufacture.
To make the wrist reduction device both viable and profitable, we had to consider all stakeholders involved — from raw materials and production to commercialization, end users, and the product’s end-of-life cycle.
final resolution
To achieve a radiolucent, portable, and user-friendly product, plastic injection molding was essential. This approach allowed us to design modular components with snap-fit connectors that could be manufactured independently and reused across different products in the line, thereby justifying the annual volume of injection-molded parts.
technical drawing
To bring the product to life, it was essential to incorporate plastic injection molding requirements into every component — including thickness, draft angles, parting lines, and manufacturing process specifications. All of this was thoroughly documented to ensure engineers could accurately manufacture the molds and, ultimately, the final product.
user manual
In addition to manufacturing, we also considered the commercialization of the wrist reduction device. This included designing the packaging and user manual to ensure the product could be easily understood and used by all users.
presentation
The Dingo Project was presented to a jury, to whom we had to explain the entire design process. To support this, we created a 3D-printed prototype to simulate plastic injection molding and test its functionality. We also included the packaging and user manual to provide a more realistic and comprehensive presentation.
