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AOPA always shows you what’s next, but the real story is what people are trying to fix right now. We walk through our on-the-ground takeaways from the exhibit hall and the education tracks, starting with the shift from “look what we can print” to “how do we remove the worst friction in prosthetics and orthotics.” AI is popping up as a serious workflow tool for documentation, admin, and turnaround time, but we also talk about the non-negotiables: HIPAA, patient health information, and why bolt-on tools can create double work if systems don’t talk to each other.

From there, we get practical. We shout out traditional manufacturing strength in areas like custom liners, break down why “cheap materials” aren’t the whole cost story, and highlight hardware that matters, including compact suction valve design that could make both traditional fabrication and 3D printed sockets cleaner. We also talk 3D printing in O&P with an honest lens: belt printers for foot orthoses, low-cost model printing, material limitations, and why controlled thermals in smaller build volumes can produce better parts.

Finally, we zoom out to the business side with the Hanger and Numotion announcement and what it could mean for complex rehab technology, wheelchairs, seating, and the broader platform direction of patient care. We explore potential synergies, the clinician shortage, “care extender” models, and the uncomfortable reality of consolidation and private equity incentives. If you’re building, buying, or simply trying to deliver better patient outcomes in orthotics and prosthetics, this one is full of signals worth tracking.

For the awards you will just have to listen!

Special Thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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