Mr. Yuan suffered from a malignant tumor of the spine, chordoma, which eroded five sections of his spine. From a medical point of view, the only possible cure consisted of removing the tumor through surgery. However, the removal of the tumor would also mean removal of part of the spine.　　

Recently, Yuan underwent a successful surgery to have 3-D printed thoracic and lumbar segments of the spine implanted by Professor Liu Zhongjun of the Peking University Third Hospital. The length of the segments totaled 19 centimeters and replaced the parts of Yuan’s spine that had to be removed.

Six hours after the surgery began, Yuan was taken out of the operating room. Doctors observed only a small amount of bleeding, and Yuan’s vital signs were stable. 

"We can use metal 3-D printing technology to create a piece of artificial spine similar to the real one that was removed," Liu said. Fitted with such an excellent copy of the original anatomy, patients are more likely to eventually work and live like ordinary people.

Yuan is just one of many potential patients for this treatment in China. According to reports, the 3-D printing of human body parts for the purpose of implantation has gained approval from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). This means that more patients are expected to receive treatment in the form of this advanced technology.