“Vinmec and VinUniversity: Revolutionary 3D-Printed Bone Transplant for Young Cancer Patient”

Vinmec Healthcare System has successfully performed a surgery to replace the entire femur with 3D-printed personalized implants for the youngest cancer patient in the world.

This is also the first biomedical product completely designed and manufactured in Vietnam, marking an important step forward in the application of precision medicine in the country.

In October 2022, after a minor fall, Tran Minh Duc from Ho Chi Minh City experienced pain in his left thigh. What was thought to be a simple injury turned out to be osteosarcoma – a malignant bone tumor with a large mass invading the entire femur. While this type of cancer is common in teenagers, it is rare and extremely dangerous in young children.

Due to the severity of the condition, medical facilities advised amputation or traditional bone grafting, both of which carry high risks of rejection and infection, especially in growing children. However, Xuan Hoang, Duc’s mother, refused to accept these options.

For nearly two years, she traveled with her son from hospital to hospital, seeking a way to save his legs. While undergoing chemotherapy, she carried him to school every day and spent her nights studying medical literature and reaching out to doctors in Vietnam and abroad.

“Every day, my son asks me if he will be able to walk again,” she shared. “I couldn’t give up; he deserves a complete childhood.”

Hope emerged when she met Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, Director of the Orthopedics Specialty Council at Vinmec Healthcare System. A novel approach was proposed: replacing the entire femur with personalized 3D-printed implants, manufactured in Vietnam.

According to Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, Duc’s entire femur was invaded by the tumor and had to be removed to ensure his survival. However, none of the artificial joints on the market were suitable for such a young patient.

After multiple interdisciplinary consultations involving Orthopedics, Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, Pathology, and Clinical Pharmacy, the Vinmec medical team agreed on a two-stage treatment plan. Stage 1 (January 2024): Tumor resection and temporary cement bone grafting. Stage 2 (May 2025): Replacement of the entire femur with 3D-printed “tailor-made” metal implants.

On January 29, 2024, Duc underwent the first surgery to remove the tumor and graft temporary cement bone. In May 2025, when his health stabilized, he received the world’s first 3D-printed “tailor-made” metal femur replacement, made possible by the collaboration between Vinmec doctors and engineers from VinUni University. The modular design of the implant allows for “lengthening” to accommodate the child’s physical growth.

Dr. Tran Duc Thanh, who participated in the surgery, shared, “We contacted foreign manufacturers, but their designs were not suitable. By creating our own implants, we not only gained autonomy in treatment but also paved a new direction for Vietnamese medicine.”

According to Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, “The four-hour surgery was successful. Duc is recovering well without complications and can already walk with the support of physical therapy. This event marks not only a technical breakthrough but also seamless coordination between multiple specialties. The patient’s life has been saved, and his limb has been preserved.”

Vinmec is the first healthcare system in Vietnam to apply 3D printing personalization in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Instead of using standardized devices, Vinmec designs customized artificial joints and bones for each patient based on CT and MRI data, optimizing motor function, accuracy, and recovery time.

To date, Vinmec has successfully treated several challenging and rare cases, including a liver transplant for an 8-month-old baby from a brain-dead donor, the first titanium chest reconstruction in Southeast Asia, and the world’s first simultaneous replacement of the pelvis and femur with 3D-printed bones.