“Now I can climb stairs without hip pain, and I can take my child to the park to run on weekends!” On March 15, Ms. Wang (pseudonym), who was revisiting the Joint Surgery Department at Cangzhou Integrative Medicine Hospital, could hardly contain her excitement. As a 32-year-old patient with developmental dysplasia of the hip, Ms. Wang had just successfully undergone a “customized” total hip replacement surgery.
Dr. Zheng Shouchao’s team cleverly utilized preoperative simulation planning with computers and 3D printed pelvic models, significantly reducing the complex surgery time from the usual 2 to 3 hours to about 1 hour. Moreover, the day after the surgery, Ms. Wang was able to bear weight and walk, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Millimeter-Level Precision: Accurately Decoding the “Bone Code”
Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) is considered a tough challenge in the field of orthopedic surgery. In such patients, the acetabulum resembles a shallow dish, and the femoral head often has poor containment or even dislocation, leading to continuous wear of the femoral head. In the past, traditional surgeries could only rely on the surgeon’s experience to roughly estimate the acetabulum’s position. Dr. Zheng metaphorically described it: “It’s like carefully carving flowers on deformed clay; even a slight deviation can lead to poor prosthesis positioning, affecting the early stability and lifespan of the prosthesis.”
Dr. Zheng showcased the 1:1 pelvic model printed for Ms. Wang before the surgery, clearly marking the range and degree of acetabular defects as well as the prosthesis implantation position. Even the bone quality of the acetabular posterior wall, which is only 0.3 cm, was clearly presented, with every detail visible.
In November of last year, the department treated Ms. Zhang, who had long suffered from limping, and multiple hospitals had advised her to “wait a bit longer.” CT scans showed that Ms. Zhang’s acetabular coverage was less than 40% (normal should be greater than 75%), and the femoral head was severely deformed. Faced with such a complex condition, Dr. Zheng’s team imported the patient’s CT data into 3D planning software, simulating four precise prosthesis implantation plans and perfectly replicating a pelvic model with vascular markings using 3D printing technology. “We rehearsed the surgery on the model three times, accurately identifying the weak points of the anterior and posterior walls of the acetabulum in advance, and customized reinforcement pads for the bone defects.” Actual measurements during the surgery showed that the prosthesis position deviated less than 1 mm from the preoperative plan, achieving true millimeter-level precision.
From “Hesitant to Act” to “Precise Strike”
“In the past, when we encountered young patients, we were particularly cautious, fearing that they would need revision surgery within just ten years after the operation.” Dr. Zheng, who has 15 years of orthopedic experience, admitted. In traditional surgeries, due to insufficient precision in acetabular positioning, the dislocation rate of the prosthesis was as high as 8%. However, with the application of 3D printing technology, the average surgery time for complex cases has been reduced by 40%, and the ten-year survival rate of the prosthesis has increased to 95%.
Since adopting this cutting-edge technology in 2023, the department has successfully completed 27 cases of DDH surgery. The average age of the patients undergoing surgery is 41, with the youngest being only 28 years old. The maturity and widespread application of this technology have allowed many young and middle-aged patients to “stand tall” again, embracing a normal and beautiful life. The Joint Surgery Department of Cangzhou Integrative Medicine Hospital, through continuous innovation in medical technology, is safeguarding patients’ health and writing a new chapter in the field of medicine.