The first child to have a successful hip replacement using 3D printing technology

On October 17, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital announced a medical advancement when the first 12-year-old patient in Vietnam received a total hip replacement using 3D printing technology and personalized PSI.

This is the youngest total hip replacement ever, marking an important step forward in medical application in Vietnam.

A 12-year-old patient suffered a broken femur and was expected to spend his entire childhood limping. However, Vinmec doctors were determined to give him a new life by performing a total hip replacement surgery using 3D technology.

A year ago, Nguyen Ngoc N. (12 years old, in Phu Tho ) had an accident and broke his left femur. Despite having undergone bone fusion surgery with a screw at a central hospital, after 6 months, N.'s condition worsened. He limped, had a severe scoliosis, and had a distinct difference in his legs, making moving, playing, and even going to school a challenge.

N. shared: “Since I broke my leg, I don’t dare go out to play with my friends anymore. I’m afraid of falling, afraid of being teased by my friends...”

Doctor Pham Trung Hieu - Head of the Department of Hip and Pelvic Surgery - Vinmec Times City Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center, said that when the family brought N. to the hospital, the doctors realized that this was a rare and complicated case. The girl was only 12 years old - an age when the bone structure is still developing strongly, but the femoral head had been largely destroyed, causing body misalignment and severe scoliosis. If not intervened early, the spine can be permanently deformed. In the world medical literature, there are only two cases of children aged 10 and 11 years old who had total hip replacement. And in Vietnam, this is the first case.

For doctors, the biggest challenge of the surgery is not only the small bone size and incomplete skeletal system, but also the prevention of the risk of loose joints and leg length difference when the child continues to grow in the future. Any deviation of even a few millimeters can cause the joint to function abnormally or affect the entire motor system.

The child patient has recovered 90% of his ability to walk. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

With the experience of having successfully replaced artificial bones for a number of patients in Vietnam, experts, orthopedic trauma doctors, anesthesiologists at Vinmec held many consultations. Finally, the decision was made to remove the entire hip joint bone, then replace it with an artificial hip bone made of titanium alloy. However, because the child patient is in the age of development, doctors have to consider many factors.

Before surgery, the team of doctors simulated the entire hip bone structure using 3D technology, created a digital surgical plan (3D template) and produced a PSI (Patient Specific Instrument) device specifically for the patient. Each cutting position, each inclination of the acetabulum and bone neck were calculated in detail down to the smallest deviation.

Dr. Nguyen Van Vi - Head of Vinmec Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Department, shared: “We use 3D imaging and motion sensors to identify weak muscle groups, from which we can build a post-operative rehabilitation plan for the child. The goal is not just to help the child walk, but to walk with the most balanced and natural gait possible.”

Thanks to careful preparation and coordination between specialists, the total hip replacement surgery was successful. Just 24 hours after surgery, N. was able to sit up by himself, practice walking with a support frame, and the VAS pain assessment scale was only 2 points - surprisingly low for a major hip replacement surgery.

Two months after surgery, the patient can now walk normally, has a balanced figure, and no longer has a scoliosis. The image analysis of the motor sensor shows that the motor function is over 90% compared to a normal person.

This is the first total hip replacement surgery in Vietnam performed on a 12-year-old child, marking an important step forward in the field of pediatric orthopedics. The success of the surgery not only opens up a new treatment direction for children with severe hip injuries in Vietnam, but also demonstrates the important role of precision and humanistic medicine at Vinmec./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/benh-nhi-dau-tien-duoc-thay-thanh-cong-khop-hang-bang-cong-nghe-in-3d-post1070940.vnp