OTWorld: A stage for real life changes
Between everyday usability and extreme sports – 3D printing in orthopaedic technology opens up new avenues for individual orthotic care
This story is a prime example of what OTWorld – the world's leading trade show and international exhibition – will showcase in Leipzig from 19 to 22 May 2026: individualised orthopaedic treatment and care opens up new possibili-ties for people and improve their quality of life. Stephan Scherzer (61) has lived with complete foot drop since the age of 12. He has compensated for this limitation for many years through intensive sports. For a good four years now, he has been relying on a customised polymer orthosis from a 3D printer. Or-thopaedic technology specialists from Berlin and Rosenheim developed this unique device especially for him and demonstrate how the interplay of first-class skilled trades and modern technology enriches the orthopaedic treat-ment and care.
Sport has always been a part of Stephan Scherzer's life. But at the age of 12, he was kicked in the right knee during football training. The result: severe pain and a bruise. ‘It will go away,’ said the doctor. But the kick had hit the fibular head. The bruise pressed on the peroneal nerve, which is responsible for lifting the foot and toes. When the pain did not subside and weakness in his foot became apparent, it was too late for surgery. The nerve was irreparably severed.
In 1976, 12-year-old Stephan Scherzer was given a Heidelberg angle brace as one of the medical aids – a rigid splint that keeps the foot straight. ‘They told me, “You can forget about sports. If you can walk normally, you're already doing well. You'll probably end up on crutches at some point,”’ he recalls. But being excluded from school sports did not stop the energetic youngster from taking up taekwondo two years later. Just one year after the operation, he finally took off the Heidelberg splint. The decisive factor was his physiotherapist at the time, who motivated him to do so. From then on, he compensated for his peroneal nerve palsy through sport, muscle building and adapted movements. With success: Stephan Scherzer achieved his 3rd black belt in taekwondo and competed in European Championships in classic taekwondo. At the same time, he took up mountaineering, climbing and skiing. ‘I compensated for my limitations with muscle training and a lot of practice, even though my gait was always noticeable. Sport carried me through. And I kept testing my limits.’ He took part in challenging Alpine tours such as the Watzmann East Face, Himalayan expeditions and the extreme swimming event ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ in San Francisco Bay.
Orthotics for everyday life and extreme demands
However, Stephan Scherzer reached a limit in his mid-50s. After experiencing severe hip pain while ridge walking in the Alps, his orthopaedic surgeon diagnosed him with grade IV osteoarthritis in his right hip, grade III osteoarthritis in his left hip and a fine crack in the bone. ‘It was clear that I had to do something. And as a tech-savvy person, I wondered if there was anything more than the Heidelberg angle.’ He asked this very question in 2021 to Petra Menkel, master bandager, and Stephan Schildhauer, both managing partners of Paul Schulze Orthopädie & Bandagen GmbH Berlin. One thing was clear: ‘I needed something for everyday use, but especially for mountaineering and demanding tours.’
‘We first tried standardised foot lift orthoses, which are based on shoe size and calf circumference,’ says Petra Menkel. ‘However, these did not meet the specific requirements. Mr Scherzer had had peroneal nerve palsy for many years, which meant that the muscle on his shinbone was never used and the bone was very prominent. This led to pressure points on the edge of the shinbone. At the same time, his activi-ties meant that he had high demands on the resilience of an orthosis.’
An orthosis that did not yet exist
Stephan Schildhauer attended The Federal Academy for Orthopaedic Technology (BUFA) in Dortmund together with Tino Gallo, the head of the company neja (Ortholutions). The Rosenheim-based company is a pioneer in computer-aided man-ufacturing processes for orthopaedic technology. Tino Gallo was also enthusiastic about the idea of manufacturing a customised orthosis. The biggest challenge at first was to precisely formulate the requirements. ‘After all, this orthosis had never been manufactured before,’ explains Petra Menkel. Using a 3D scan of the lower leg and a plaster cast, she sent the exact measurements and description of the desired orthosis to the engineering team. ‘The first prints were trials with different thicknesses and materials.’ After four months, Stephan Scherzer was able to try on a first proto-type and put it through intensive testing on mountain tours. By documenting pressure points and painful areas, the prototype was continuously optimised, the weight ad-justed and a predetermined breaking point at the transition from the sole to the shin reinforced.
A joint learning process for all involved
After a year, everyone involved was satisfied with the result: the completely new type of leg orthosis from the 3D printer runs from a thin sole of the foot up the shin to the knee and is attached to the calf with Velcro fasteners. The polymer orthosis is highly resilient, elastic and weighs just over 130 grams. It is so dynamic that the muscle on the shin is reactivated. This unique product is perfectly tailored to the needs of Stephan Scherzer. "I was thrilled by the willingness to gain experience together. The whole team embraced this challenge and looked at what we could achieve together,‘ he says. Petra Menkel also describes the joint learning process as a real enrichment for her work and emphasises Stephan Scherzer's motivation: ’He went through the entire development process and never tired of testing until everything was just right." At the same time, his body had to adjust to the new medical aids after around 45 years. ‘Over the course of a year, my entire muscular system changed again, which was sometimes very painful,’ he says. In addition to his sporting activities, physiotherapy, fascia yoga and an anti-inflammatory diet helped him with the transition.
Today, Stephan Scherzer says: ‘I can walk without pain – the artificial hip is a distant memory.’ And he continues to test his limits: in 2025, he took part in a mountain run, the Kilometre Vertical de Fully, in Switzerland, covering 1,000 metres of elevation gain over 1.9 kilometres with a continuous 50 to 60 per cent gradient. In May 2026, he will compete in the Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer on La Palma. Almost 1,200 metres of elevation gain await him over seven kilometres. ‘My biggest concern – that I always have to lift my knee extra high so as not to stumble or get stuck when climbing mountains – has disappeared. The orthosis, which is optimised for me, allows me to go on challenging mountain tours and walk relaxed in everyday life – it's just great.’
Access to OTWorld 2026
The ticket shop for OTWorld 2026 is now open. OTWorld full tickets (OTWorld COMPLETE) are available, which include access to the World Congress and the International Trade Show. An early bird rate is available until 31 March, offering savings of up to 80.00 EUR. Discounted day tickets are further available for pupils, students and trainees – with a reduced OTWorld COMPLETE ticket at 89.00 EUR and a reduced OTWorld TRADE SHOW ticket at 21.00 EUR (valid proof of eligibility must be presented). A special Trade Show Group ticket at a reduced ticket price of 29.00 EUR can be recommended for visitor groups with a minimum of four attendees who would like to attend the International Trade Show, including all workshops (exhibitor and congress workshops). Separate two-day tickets are also available for participants of the Youth Academy for Technical Orthopaedics (JA.TO). An early bird rate with a saving of 10.00 EUR is available until 31 March.
Further information on the congress programme is available online here . The ticket shop can be accessed here .
