Vinmec Healthcare System, a private Vietnamese hospital network, has performed a Total Femoral Replacement (TFR) using a patient-specific 3D printed implant on the world’s youngest recorded osteosarcoma patient. The implant was designed and manufactured domestically, making it the first such biomedical product developed entirely within Vietnam.
Tran Minh Duc, a young boy from Ho Chi Minh City, was diagnosed with malignant bone cancer in 2022 after a fall led to persistent pain in his left thigh. Imaging revealed osteosarcoma, a tumor that had spread throughout his femur. Although this form of cancer most commonly affects adolescents, it is rare in younger children. At multiple medical centers, amputation or traditional bone grafting were proposed. Both approaches presented elevated risks of infection and long-term rejection, particularly during early stages of physical development.
Duc’s mother, Xuan Hoang, declined those options. Over the next two years, she sought alternatives across hospitals in Vietnam, carrying her son daily to school while he underwent chemotherapy. “Every day, my son would ask me: Will I ever walk again?” she said. “If I give up, I cannot give him an answer.”
An alternative emerged through Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, Director of the Orthopedic Council at Vinmec. His surgical team proposed a full femoral replacement using a custom implant fabricated through 3D printing. The solution would be produced domestically using CT and MRI data, rather than relying on off-the-shelf components unsuitable for pediatric anatomy.
Vinmec specialists conducted interdisciplinary case reviews involving orthopedics, oncology, diagnostic imaging, pathology, and clinical pharmacology. The procedure was divided into two phases. In January 2024, surgeons removed the tumor and implanted a temporary bone spacer. After the patient’s recovery stabilized, a second operation was conducted in May 2025 to install the final metal implant. The modular design allows for extensions as the child grows.
VinUniversity engineers collaborated with the surgical team to develop the implant, which was manufactured in Vietnam. According to MSc. Dr. Tran Duc Thanh, who participated in the operation, “We contacted foreign manufacturers but there was no suitable design. Self-manufacturing the equipment allows us to be proactive in treatment.”
Following the second surgery, Duc began physical therapy. Prof. Dr. Dung reported no signs of rejection or complications. “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,” he said. “Both the life and limb of the child were kept intact.”
Vinmec has previously conducted multiple procedures involving patient-specific implants. In addition to femoral reconstruction, it was the first facility in Southeast Asia to reproduce a 3D printed titanium chest wall. The healthcare group also performed the world’s first concurrent 3D printed pelvis and femur replacement, and Vietnam’s first liver transplant from a brain-dead donor to an 8-month-old infant.Custom implants designed by the Vietnamese medical group use individual imaging data rather than standardized parts. This approach is intended to optimize motor functions, enhance precision, and reduce the recovery period.
“When my son stood up, I was trembling with joy,” Hoang said. “He has been unable to walk for nearly two years. Now he did it. I just hope that he will be capable of riding a bike and playing football like his peers.” Prof. Dr. Dung stated, “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.”
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Feature image shows Medical staff assess patient Tran Minh Duc’s mobility during postoperative recovery. Photo via Vinmec.
