Vinmec Healthcare System, Vietnam’s leading private medical provider, has successfully performed a Total Femoral Replacement (TFR) surgery using a fully 3D-printed metal implant. This innovative medical procedure was performed on a child suffering from osteosarcoma.
Tran Minh Duc was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a malignant bone tumor, in 2022. The tumor had completely spread across his thigh bone (femur). Traditional methods, such as amputation or donor bone grafting, posed significant challenges for the child. Therefore, the medical team developed an innovative alternative: a complete femoral replacement using a 3D-printed implant designed to precisely match the child’s anatomy. The implant was developed by Vinmec surgeons and VinUniversity engineers, using CT and MRI data.
The treatment was conducted in two stages. In early 2024, the primary operation involved removing the tumor and inserting a temporary bone graft, followed by the implantation of the fully 3D-printed femur in May 2025. The surgery was successful, and the patient is currently able to move independently.
Notably, the implant is modular, meaning it can potentially be adapted in the future to accommodate the patient’s growth, which is a major advantage of this personalized medical approach.
Why is this medical achievement important?
The successful procedure of fully replacing the femur with a 3D-printed metal implant confirms the rapid advancement of high-tech medicine and clearly demonstrates the enormous potential of 3D printing technology in healthcare.
This surgery is just one example of what 3D printing technology can do in medicine. The true potential of this technology is much greater, and it can be applied to existing and new medical areas, including:
- Bio-printing of Organs: 3D bio-printing could, in the future, create a resource of fully functional organs for transplantation. This would be a huge breakthrough in solving the problem of organ shortages.
- Manufacturing of Prosthetics and Orthoses: 3D printing is already actively used to create personalized, lightweight, and durable prosthetics and orthoses, simplifying people’s lives.
- Creation of Surgical Instruments: Surgeons can use 3D printing to manufacture specialized instruments needed for surgery. This increases the accuracy and safety of the operation, which is critical for the patient’s life.
- Medication Dosage: 3D printing allows for the creation of medications with individually tailored dosages of active ingredients. This is especially important for patients with chronic diseases, where precise dose control is critically important for improving their condition.
- Medical Education: Models printed with this technology are invaluable for training medical students.
This case clearly shows how high-tech medicine is transforming the future of healthcare.
