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 Instances Metropolis Worldwide Hospital, not solely preserved the kid’s limb and mobility but in addition establishes a brand new normal for pediatric orthopedic oncology remedy.
This landmark case represents the primary documented occasion of an entire femur alternative utilizing a personalized 3D-printed implant in a affected person this younger, marking a big development in each surgical innovation and Vietnam’s rising position in precision medication.
Pioneering software in pediatric oncology
Conventional complete femur replacements have traditionally relied on typical implant methods with restricted customization choices. In response to medical literature within the U.S. Nationwide Library of Medication, no earlier instances exist of absolutely 3D-printed or patient-specific femoral implants in pediatric functions. This breakthrough required growing totally new approaches to handle 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 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 tackle.
“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 machine absolutely designed and produced in Vietnam for scientific software of this complexity.
Engineering for development: A modular titanium resolution
The event course of concerned in depth 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 strategy: surgeons first eliminated the tumor and inserted a short lived cement graft in January 2024, permitting the affected person time to recuperate from most cancers remedy earlier than continuing with the definitive reconstruction.
In Might 2025, as soon as the affected person had absolutely recovered and the most cancers remedy 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 ample 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 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 alternative 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 enlargement, rising from $1.04 billion in 2025 to $6.7 billion by 2035. This development is pushed by growing demand for personalised care options and substantial regional investments in analysis and growth infrastructure.
Vinmec’s achievement illustrates the broader potential of 3D printing know-how 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 advice 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 remedy 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 end result validates the significance of exploring each attainable choice earlier than accepting limitations, notably in pediatric instances the place high quality of life issues lengthen throughout many years.
At the moment, 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 inconceivable challenges in fashionable healthcare.