In October 2022, Tran Minh Duc (a boy from Ho Chi Minh City) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – a malignant bone cancer with a tumor that had invaded his entire femur.
Given the severe prognosis, most medical facilities recommended amputation to ensure his survival or bone grafting (a conventional method). Both methods carry a high risk of rejection and infection, especially for younger children in the development stage. However, Ms. Xuan Hoang, Duc’s mother, did not accept that fate. For nearly two years, she and her son visited different hospitals, large and small. They sought a solution that would preserve her son’s entire leg. During Duc’s chemotherapy, she carried him to school on her back every day. She then spent her nights looking into medical literature and contacting domestic and foreign doctors.
She said: “Every day, my son would ask me: Will I ever walk again?” If I give up, I cannot give him an answer. My son deserves a proper childhood.”
Seeing the light through Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung – Director of the Orthopedic Council, Vinmec Healthcare System
The meeting with Dr. Tran Trung Dung led to an unusual approach: replacing the entire femur with personalized 3D-printed materials that are produced in Vietnam.
Vinmec is Vietnam’s private healthcare system, with a network of 9 hospitals nationwide, developed to international standards with a focus on comprehensive, personalized, and specialty care.
After various interdisciplinary case conferences including Orthopedics, Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, Pathology, Clinical Pharmacy, etc., the Vinmec experts reached a consensus on the optimal approach – a two-phase surgery.
Phase 1 (January 2024): Removing the tumor and temporarily grafting a cement bone. Phase 2 (May 2025): Replacing the entire femur with a “customized” bone made of 3D-printed metal.
Stages of the reconstruction
On January 29, 2024, Duc underwent his first surgery – removing the entire tumor and temporarily grafting a cement bone. In May 2025 when his conditions had stabilized, Duc’s entire femur was replaced with a “customized” bone made of 3D-printed metal. Described as a world’s first, the collaboration between Vinmec medical professionals and VinUni’s engineers led to a bone’s modular design, enabling future extensions based on the child’s physical development.
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.”
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