[K-SCIENCE] Transplant of Artificial Sternum

A man in his 50s is suffering from a sarcoma in the sternum and rib, that is a malignant tumor and a rare type of cancer.

The best way to cure him was surgery to remove the sarcoma but the surgical site was too wide for doctors to recover the patient through reconstructive surgery using conventional bone cement.

A team of researchers at a Seoul university has successfully transplanted a 3D-printed ribcage into the patient's thorax, for the first time in the country.

The artificial chest, composed of the sternum and 10 ribs and made of titanium, is known to be the world's largest of its kind.


[Park Byung-Joon, professor, Chung-Ang University Hospital]
"The titanium implants are custom-made to fit each patient's body so that the patients feel less-than-expected pain and have less respiratory difficulty. There has not been any significant concomitant reduction in their mobility or physical strength."


The patient with the artificial ribcage said he has no health problems since the surgery 15 days ago.

[Male patient with artificial ribcage]
"I feel like flying! I never feel that my bones are replaced with titanium."


The research team expects the 3D printing technology to create artificial bones would be used more widely for custom implants in the human body.