We knew 3D printing technology was cool – but for a 2-year-old with a congenital disease that has fused her joints, a 3D-printed "exoskeleton" is allowing her to use her arms for the very first time.
DigitalTrends.com reported that medical researchers at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children used a Stratays Dimension 3D printer to build the plastic supports, which help young Emma use her arms as a normal child might.
The arms are printed from the same plastic that's used in LEGO building toys, says DigitalTrends.
Further, as the plastic supports are made using a 3D printer, it's convenient to swap out broken parts, as well as scale the "arms" up as Emma grows.
Read more: How a geek dad and his 3D printer aim to liberate LEGOs
High-tech treatments aren't out of the norm for the Delaware hospital: Hospital and Health Networks Magazine named it among the "most wired" hospitals and health systems in the USA.
Watch video of the remarkable "magic arms" below.