Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 22, 2025
The Use of Mixed Reality in Custom-Made Revision Hip Arthroplasty: A First Case Report
Published on: August 4, 2022
Proximal Femur Osteotomy Guided with Patient-Specific 3D Print Technology: A Case Report
Alan Valdovino1, Justin Ryan2, Parham Gholami2
1University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California.
Insights
A 3D-printed model of a child's healthy femur guided a complex surgery to correct a malunion after infection. This patient-specific approach enabled precise deformity correction and custom implant design.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
- Pediatric orthopedics
Background:
- A 17-month-old infant developed a complex femoral deformity and malunion following a lower extremity infection.
- Conventional surgical planning can be challenging for complex pediatric bone deformities.
Observation:
- Three-dimensional (3D) patient-specific models of both the affected and unaffected femora were created.
- The contralateral (unaffected) proximal femur served as a template for surgical planning.
Findings:
- Corrective osteotomy was precisely templated on the 3D-printed models.
- The use of patient-specific 3D printing allowed for simulation of the deformity correction.
- A customized implant was designed to precisely fit the patient's unique anatomy.
Implications:
- This technique demonstrates the value of 3D patient-specific printing in complex pediatric orthopedic cases.
- It facilitates accurate pre-operative planning and the creation of custom implants for challenging femoral deformities.
- This approach can improve surgical outcomes and patient-specific treatment in pediatric orthopedics.
Case:
We present a 17-month-old female infant with a left lower extremity infection. After treating the infection, she developed a pathologic femur fracture malunion with a complex femoral deformity. Three-dimensional (3D) patient-specific prints of her affected and unaffected femora were made, and a corrective osteotomy was templated on the prints.
Conclusion:
By printing the contralateral proximal femur and templating the osteotomy and correction based on the native anatomy of the patient, we were able to simulate the 3D deformity correction and customize an implant to fit the patient's anatomy.
