The Vietnamese healthcare network Vinmec, in cooperation with engineering teams from VinUniversity, has performed a total femur prosthesis on a child with cancer – using custom-made 3D-printed implants. The procedure is one of the first of its kind for such a young patient and demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing in the field of personalized orthopaedics.
Four-year-old Tran Minh Duc from Ho Chi Minh City was diagnosed with malignant osteosarcoma in 2022, which had infiltrated the entire femur. The prognosis was unfavorable; conventional treatment options such as amputation or bone grafting carry high risks of complications in such cases. After thorough interdisciplinary consultation, the treating teams decided on a two-stage treatment plan: First, the affected bone tissue was removed and replaced with a temporary cement prosthesis. In a second procedure in May 2025, a modular, 3D-printed metal bone was implanted, the geometry of which was customized on the basis of CT and MRI data.
According to MSc. Dr. Tran Duc Thanh, who was directly engaged in the surgery: “We contacted foreign manufacturers but there was no suitable design. Self-manufacturing the equipment allows us to be proactive in treatment, it also paves the way for a new direction for Vietnamese medicine.”
Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung added: “The 4-hour surgery was a success. Duc recovered quickly without any complications, now he is able to walk with the support of physical therapy. The surgery represented a breakthrough in complex techniques and the evidence for sound collaboration in the multidisciplinary medical team. Both the life and limb of the child were kept intact.”
The modular design allows future extensions depending on body growth. The metal material used was processed in Vietnam and additively manufactured using a powder bed process.
Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung said: “We believe that modern medicine and compassion should go side by side. Duc is not just a special patient, his case represents a story of determination, maternal love, and the faith that the impossible can become possible if we never give up.”
The four-hour operation went without complications. Tran is now able to move independently with the help of physiotherapy. The treatment underlines the importance of 3D printing technologies in personalized medicine and shows how locally developed solutions can be an alternative to imported standard implants – especially in complex paediatric orthopaedic cases.
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