A six-year-old Chinese boy suffering from a brittle bone disease is able to stand again thanks to surgery using pioneering 3D printing technology.
The child, identified as Xiaofeng, from southern China’s Guizhou Province, can now stand up slowly with the help of a standing bed after going through surgery in June. Doctors say he will be able to stand up by himself after another month of recovery and training, reported Southern Daily.
To ensure a successful surgery, doctors in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital first designed a 3D-printed model based on the skeletal structure of the boy. With the life-sized model, they were able to make a precise surgery plan and carried out the operation in June. The cost of the 3D skeleton was covered by a Shenzhen-based technology company.
According to Xiaofeng’s father, the boy lost the ability to stand at the age of five due to multiple fractures and a severe malformation of his legs.
"Xiaofeng has suffered bone fractures since he started to learn how to walk. He had over 20 fractures [before the surgery]… Around the age of five, he could only sit because his legs would form a ring-like shape," recalled the boy’s father to the Southern Daily.
The family searched for medical treatments across the country but all the efforts were all in vain until this June, when a non-profit disease care center reached out to the family to help. Xiaofeng was then sent to Shenzhen for treatment. He is now recovering well.
Brittle bone disease is a genetic disorder that can result in bone fractures and deformities. According to Xinhua News Agency, one in 10,000 to 15,000 people suffer from the disease in China, often referred to as "ciwawa", or "china doll.”
