GrowCast: Sustainable, Stronger, and Affordable Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Mycelium Casts for Orthopedic Care

Traditional plaster casts are heavy, uncomfortable, and bad for the environment. This study set out to create a better alternative by combining 3D printing with mycelium, a biodegradable fungal material. We asked whether a 3D-printed cast reinforced with mycelium could outperform a standard plaster cast in strength and stiffness. Our team designed a custom-fit cast with a breathable Voronoi pattern, scanned a human arm using a phone app, and printed the cast with a hollow space for the mycelium. After growing and drying the mycelium inside the cast, we ran compression tests and found that the new design held 32.8% more weight and had 25.3% higher stiffness than plaster. These results suggest that a mycelium-reinforced 3D cast isn’t just more sustainable, it’s also stronger and more supportive. With further testing and refinement, this method could lead to more comfortable, eco-friendly, and effective orthopedic care.