In a first in Israel, Hadassah Medical Center surgeons used a 3D printer to lengthen and replace the leg bone of a woman, 24, who suffered from Gorham-Stout disease, or vanishing bone disease, an extremely rare condition that causes bone tissue to be abnormally reabsorbed in the body and vanish, the hospital said Monday.
The woman had one leg that was significantly shorter than the other and walked on crutches for most of her life.
Doctors designed a 3D-printed reconstruction of her missing pelvic bone and hip joint, and another custom implant designed to replace her missing femur, or thigh bone.
After an extensive operation, the woman’s leg was lengthened by a total of eight centimeters (3.2 inches), followed by an intensive rehabilitation period. Today, her leg has been returned to nearly its original length, and she walks without crutches.
“This case is unusual not only because of the rarity of the disease, but also because of the innovative solution found,” said Dr. Omer Or, an orthopedic oncologist and specialist in metabolic bone diseases at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
The exact cause of Gorham-Stout disease is unclear, and it is not thought to be hereditary. It can strike at any age, it can stop spontaneously, and there is no cure for it.
Source:
www.timesofisrael.com
