Prosthetic replacement surgery has elbow room for success
Dr Fan Cunyi from Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital carries out the innovative prosthetic replacement.
Local medical experts have announced the success of an innovative tailor-made prosthetic replacement for a patient with complicated elbow joint dysfunction.
The artificial joint, which is the first in the world, has good bio-fusion with patient's own tissue because of 3D printing, individualized design and use of biological materials and doesn't need intramedullary fixation, allowing a safer and more efficient treatment.
The innovative prosthesis
The patient, a 26-year-old woman, suffered comminuted fracture on the left arm due to a traffic accident two years ago. Though undergoing surgery, she suffered elbow dysfunction, and was unable to perform such simple tasks as combing her hair and typing.
She went to Dr Fan Cunyi of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital for help.
After detailed consultation and checks of the patient's condition, doctors decided to carry out a customized prosthetic replacement, which was initiated by the hospital and a pharmaceutical company.
The innovative prothesis can integrate with the body successfully and renovate joint function, filling a blank in medical appliances in the field.
Dr Fan, who is also the vice director of the National Center for Orthopedics, said the innovation is evidence of China's improvement in medical research, practice and new technology as well as product development.
