Vancouver General Hospital to make custom splints using 3D printing, saving time

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s largest hospital will become the first health care facility in North America to produce custom splints using 3D printing technology on site.

Health Minister Ravi Kahlon said Tuesday that printing splints at the hospital would make the process more efficient, faster and accurate, allowing patients to recover more quickly and freeing up time for direct patient care. 

He said the province’s overall health system also needed to become faster and more efficient.

“But what is perfectly important for us is that our health care professionals … have the flexibility and the tools to be able to use their time to help people in the best way possible,” he said. 

“This type of innovation enables occupational therapists to do that.”

The Health Ministry said in a news release that traditional custom splints can take up to two hours to make, while a 3D-printed splint takes about 30 minutes of a clinician’s time.

The process was announced at Vancouver General Hospital, where Kahlon was joined by officials from Vancouver Coastal Health, which is rolling out the technology in collaboration with B.C.-based 3D printing company PolyUnity. 

Miriam Wickett, occupational therapy practice leader with Vancouver Coastal Health said such innovations were about “supporting patient recovery, helping them maintain their independence and return to the activities that matter most to them.”

“This new approach allows us to deliver customized, evidence-based splints more efficiently and consistently while freeing up valuable clinical time that can be redirected to patient care,” she said in the news release.

Kahlon, a former Olympic field hockey player, said splints play a critical role in the rehabilitation of patients with injuries or burns. 

“I can say I’m excited about it because I have had my fair share of splints in my last few years,” he said.

“For patients, this means you will get customized splints sooner, helping them get treatment earlier and supporting the recovery and mobility and independence.”

Kahlon said the system is unique in North America, and the government planned to roll out the technology across the province as it continues to look for innovative ways to improve patient care. 

“It’s coming soon to a community near you,” he said, without giving a time frame.

The minister said the technology would also make the provincial health care system less dependent on international suppliers.

Jacqueline Lee, CEO of PolyUnity, said in the news release that custom splinting depended on “skilled hands and limited hours” and demand outpaced what clinics could make with traditional methods.

She said the firm has worked with Vancouver Coastal Health to create a digital workflow.

“Clinicians measure the way they always have. We handle the design, the fabrication and the regulatory responsibility,” she said.

“What it changes is simple: More people will now be able to receive a custom splint.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2026.