Thai doctors successfully replace real human bone with titanium one

BANGKOK, 27 January 2016 (NNT) - Phramongkutklao Hospital and Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering have successfully replaced a patient's thumb bone with an artificial one made of titanium.

Lt. Col. Supichai Charoenwareekul, MD, the Director of Orthopedic Department at Phramongkutklao, said a female patient, age 37, has had her first metacarpal bone removed after it was destroyed by a giant cell tumor.

In the past, bone from other parts of the body would be used to replace the one that were surgically removed. However, the patient would not be able to move the reconstructed limb.

To solve this problem, Phramongkutkhlao Hospital and a team of researchers from Chulalongkorn University’s Innovative Metal Research Unit used 3-D printing to create a mirror image of the opposite hand’s thumb bone out of titanium.

The artificial bone was then placed inside the patient’s thumb and stitched with the finger’s tendons. Four months after the bone replacement operation, the patient was able to move her thumb without any complications from the surgery, representing a remarkable achievement in the history of medicine.


-- NNT 2016-01-27

"representing a remarkable achievement in the history of medicine."

yes, well done. keep up the good work. anything positive to come out of Thailand is good news.

more info here:

http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/thai-doctors-successfully-transplant-worlds-first-titanium-thumb

and here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_transplantation

Edited January 27, 201610 yr by NCC1701A

"...representing a remarkable achievement in the history of medicine."

It's remarkable but it isn't new and it wasn't developed by Thailand.

Sorry Thailand, still no cigar.

2 disks in my neck are titanium, a bit more complicated than a thumb me thinks, done 10 years ago in The Netherlands

Aren't some hip replacements done with titanium?

"...representing a remarkable achievement in the history of medicine."

It's remarkable but it isn't new and it wasn't developed by Thailand.

Sorry Thailand, still no cigar.

To replace parts of a bone with titanium or other alloys is not new technology but to use computers, 3D-printing and so on to replicate and then replace a complete bone with a bone made out of titanium it's actually a first! If you are thinking about the titanium foam that are using the osseointergration then you are wrong as that's not used to replace a whole bone it's used because it's promoting the bone to grow in to and fuse with the implant.

Surprised this wasn't an everyday procedure already. Sounds like a no-brainer.

World’s first thumb bone titanium replacement announced



BANGKOK: -- Doctors from Phramongkutklao hospital and engineers from Chulalongkorn university yesterday announced the success of what they said was the world's first replacement of thumb bone damaged by cancer with titanium.

The success was made in an operation on a 37-year-old woman whose first metacarpal of the right hand was damaged by a giant-cell tumour in the bone.

Col Dr Thipachart Bunyarataphan said the Faculty of Engineering was responsible for the design and construction of the titanium prosthesis while Phramongkutklao hospital orthopedists designed tendon connectors.

Two operations were conducted.

Bangkok Post reported that in the first operation, the damaged bone was removed and doctors applied mirror imaging and 3D printing to create a resin model for the casting of the locally made prosthesis.

In the first operation, doctors spent a year to monitor to see whether the tumour would recur or not at the removed bone.

After it was confirmed that the tumour did not recur, the second surgery was performed during which the titanium bone was attached.

Four months later, the patient has neither rejected the prosthesis nor suffered any pain and can use her thumb as before.

He said the success would be published in a medical magazine and they would apply for patent for the procedure in the titanium implant on thumb bone.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148357


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-27

Why don't you read carefully before posting comments?

Titanium replacement knees have been around in Thailand for over 13 years.

Thumbs up from me.

This is, of course, great news, although I would have thought this was common practice also.

Engineers Create A Titanium Rib Cage

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/09/15/440361621/engineers-create-a-titanium-rib-cage-worthy-of-wolverine

3d printed body parts are not exactly new.

Nice if the Thai doctors actually did the first one of its kind however like numerous prior alleged medical breakthroughs announced her i have my doubts.

Looking at the xray showing both thumbs the titanium one does not look to be a mirror image of the natural contralateral bone.

Edited January 27, 201610 yr by atyclb

A first in Thailand, well done. This 3d printing for medical use website is also interesting. Soon cyborg's will be a reality.

http://3dprinting.com/medical/

Hurry for Thailand medical.This is done probably 5,000 times a day in the Western World and with much more complicated bones and joints.

Why don't you read carefully before posting comments?

The sun will most likely rise in the morning without my asking "why".

Wonder if you can get you thingy printed 3d ,made into titanium and re-attached if your angry wife cuts it off for cheating on her?

I wonder if titanium is magnetic. Could come in handy when looking for your car keys.

It's what I call Thai-tanium !

Well done to all teams involved with the research & implementation of this operation, it is good news for everyone living here that medical improvements & innovations are made, some out there need to look on the good side for change.

Hurry for Thailand medical.This is done probably 5,000 times a day in the Western World and with much more complicated bones and joints.

give us some proove

Nice to see that Thai medicine is catching up with world advanced medical practice. Pity that it was advertised as "cutting edge" which it definitely not.