Vinmec Healthcare System in Vietnam has achieved a medical milestone by efficiently implanting the world’s first totally 3D-printed titanium femur in an eight-year-old osteosarcoma affected person. The process, carried out at Vinmec Occasions Metropolis Worldwide Hospital, not solely preserved the kid’s limb and mobility but in addition establishes a brand new normal for pediatric orthopedic oncology therapy.
This landmark case represents the primary documented occasion of an entire femur substitute utilizing a personalized 3D-printed implant in a affected person this younger, marking a major development in each surgical innovation and Vietnam’s rising position in precision drugs.
Pioneering software in pediatric oncology
Conventional whole femur replacements have traditionally relied on typical implant methods with restricted customization choices. Based on medical literature within the U.S. Nationwide Library of Drugs, no earlier circumstances exist of totally 3D-printed or patient-specific femoral implants in pediatric functions. This breakthrough required growing completely new approaches to deal with the distinctive challenges of pediatric bone most cancers therapy.
The customized implant was designed and manufactured completely in Vietnam by biomedical engineers at VinUni’s Biomedical 3D Lab. The group created the prosthetic primarily based on detailed evaluation of the kid’s particular anatomy and integrated projections for future development—a essential consideration in pediatric orthopedics that typical implants can not handle.
“The surgical procedure represented a breakthrough in advanced strategies and demonstrated the energy of our multidisciplinary collaboration,” mentioned Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, Director of the Orthopedic Council at Vinmec.
This achievement locations Vietnam on the forefront of a regional motion towards self-reliant, precision healthcare. Whereas neighboring nations like Singapore and Malaysia have begun integrating 3D printing into surgical workflows, this marks the primary biomedical system totally designed and produced in Vietnam for scientific software of this complexity.
Engineering for development: A modular titanium answer
The event course of concerned in depth multidisciplinary collaboration between orthopedic surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and pharmacists over a number of months of case critiques. The therapy adopted a rigorously deliberate two-stage strategy: surgeons first eliminated the tumor and inserted a brief cement graft in January 2024, permitting the affected person time to get better from most cancers therapy earlier than continuing with the definitive reconstruction.
In Could 2025, as soon as the affected person had totally recovered and the most cancers therapy was full, the medical group carried out the second surgical procedure to put in the personalized titanium femur. The timing proved essential, because it allowed the engineering group adequate time to good the implant design whereas making certain the affected person’s total well being was optimized for the advanced process.
“We contacted overseas producers, however none had an answer that met the kid’s distinctive wants,” defined Dr. Tran Duc Thanh, who was immediately concerned within the operation. “Self-manufacturing allowed us to behave rapidly and supply an answer that aligns with the way forward for Vietnamese drugs.”
The femur design incorporates modular engineering ideas particularly to accommodate the kid’s development over time—an important innovation in pediatric orthopedic oncology the place typical implants typically require a number of substitute surgical procedures as youngsters develop.
Southeast Asia’s rising healthcare innovation hub
This case exemplifies Southeast Asia’s quickly rising funding in localized, patient-specific healthcare options. The success demonstrates how regional innovation facilities can ship world-class medical outcomes whereas constructing home capabilities in superior manufacturing.
Based on Metatech Insights, the Asia-Pacific 3D printing healthcare sector will expertise dramatic growth, rising from $1.04 billion in 2025 to $6.7 billion by 2035. This development is pushed by rising demand for personalised care options and substantial regional investments in analysis and improvement infrastructure.
Vinmec’s achievement illustrates the broader potential of 3D printing expertise to ship cost-effective, extremely advanced medical options with out dependence on abroad suppliers. Extra considerably, it demonstrates that cutting-edge surgical innovation is now not concentrated solely in Western medical establishments, however is rising from healthcare methods throughout the growing world.
A narrative of dedication and hope
Behind this scientific milestone lies a profoundly human story of maternal dedication and medical perseverance. When confronted with the preliminary suggestion of amputation following chemotherapy, the kid’s mom refused to simply accept limb loss as the one choice. Her unwavering advocacy led the medical group to pursue a extra superior, albeit considerably tougher, different therapy strategy.
The choice to aim this unprecedented process required not solely technical innovation but in addition appreciable braveness from each the medical group and the household. The profitable final result validates the significance of exploring each attainable choice earlier than accepting limitations, notably in pediatric circumstances the place high quality of life concerns lengthen throughout many years.
In the present day, her son walks once more—on a femur designed and manufactured in Vietnam, personalized particularly for his anatomy and engineered to develop with him. This achievement represents not only a medical success, however a logo of how dedication, innovation, and collaborative experience can overcome seemingly unattainable challenges in fashionable healthcare.
