Vinmec Healthcare System in Vietnam has achieved a medical milestone by efficiently implanting the world’s first absolutely 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 additionally establishes a brand new normal for pediatric orthopedic oncology remedy.
This landmark case represents the primary documented occasion of a whole femur substitute utilizing a custom-made 3D-printed implant in a affected person this younger, marking a major development in each surgical innovation and Vietnam’s rising position in precision medication.
Pioneering utility in pediatric oncology
Conventional whole femur replacements have traditionally relied on typical implant techniques with restricted customization choices. In response to medical literature within the U.S. Nationwide Library of Medication, no earlier circumstances exist of absolutely 3D-printed or patient-specific femoral implants in pediatric functions. This breakthrough required creating totally new approaches to deal with the distinctive challenges of pediatric bone most cancers remedy.
The customized implant was designed and manufactured totally in Vietnam by biomedical engineers at VinUni’s Biomedical 3D Lab. The staff created the prosthetic based mostly on detailed evaluation of the kid’s particular anatomy and integrated projections for future development—a crucial 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 international locations like Singapore and Malaysia have begun integrating 3D printing into surgical workflows, this marks the primary biomedical gadget absolutely designed and produced in Vietnam for medical utility of this complexity.
Engineering for development: A modular titanium answer
The event course of concerned intensive multidisciplinary collaboration between orthopedic surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and pharmacists over a number of months of case opinions. The remedy adopted a fastidiously deliberate two-stage method: surgeons first eliminated the tumor and inserted a short lived cement graft in January 2024, permitting the affected person time to get better from most cancers remedy earlier than continuing with the definitive reconstruction.
In Could 2025, as soon as the affected person had absolutely recovered and the most cancers remedy was full, the medical staff carried out the second surgical procedure to put in the custom-made titanium femur. The timing proved essential, because it allowed the engineering staff 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 international 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 medication.”
The femur design incorporates modular engineering rules particularly to accommodate the kid’s development over time—a vital innovation in pediatric orthopedic oncology the place typical implants typically require a number of substitute surgical procedures as kids 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.
In response to 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 growing demand for customized care options and substantial regional investments in analysis and growth 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 not concentrated completely in Western medical establishments, however is rising from healthcare techniques throughout the creating world.
A narrative of willpower and hope
Behind this medical milestone lies a profoundly human story of maternal willpower 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 possibility. Her unwavering advocacy led the medical staff to pursue a extra superior, albeit considerably more difficult, different remedy method.
The choice to try this unprecedented process required not solely technical innovation but additionally appreciable braveness from each the medical staff and the household. The profitable final result validates the significance of exploring each doable possibility earlier than accepting limitations, significantly in pediatric circumstances the place high quality of life issues lengthen throughout a long time.
Right this moment, her son walks once more—on a femur designed and manufactured in Vietnam, custom-made particularly for his anatomy and engineered to develop with him. This achievement represents not only a medical success, however an emblem of how willpower, innovation, and collaborative experience can overcome seemingly inconceivable challenges in fashionable healthcare.
