ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomaterials
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1625650
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced Biomaterials and Surface Engineering and Technology of Orthopedic ImplantsView all 4 articles
Personalized Porous Tantalum Implants Crafted via 3D Printing: New Horizons in Complex Cervical-Thoracic Spinal Fusion
Provisionally accepted
- 1Center for Joint Surgery, The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- 2The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- 3Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou City, China
- 4Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation, Jiangbei Branch of The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: Complex interbody fusion remains challenging, while traditional surgical instruments are not suitable for complex spinal deformities. Porous tantalum (Ta) has excellent osteogenic properties, but there is currently a lack of research on its application in cervical thoracic interbody fusion.Objective: To introduce the application of selective electron beam melting (SEBM) 3D printing technology in customized porous Ta vertebral fusion implants and evaluate its mid-term clinical efficacy in complex cervical thoracic fusion surgery.Method: Porous Ta implants were manufactured using SEBM technology. The mechanical properties were optimized and characterized. Three patients who underwent complex cervical and thoracic fusion surgery were prospectively recruited. 3D printing technology is used for preoperative planning and customized implant design. Surgical techniques and postoperative management follow standard procedures, with regular follow-up including clinical and imaging evaluations.Result: Porous Ta implants have satisfactory pore structure and surface characteristics, with mechanical properties. All three surgeries were successful. The operation time is 188-525 minutes (average 387.7 minutes), the intraoperative blood loss is 300-1000 milliliters (average 695 milliliters), and the hospitalization time is 21-36 days (average 30.0 days). After an average follow-up of 24.3 months, the patient's pain symptoms improved significantly and no serious complications occurred.The use of 3D printed personalized porous tantalum implants in complex spinal fusion procedures is feasible and has shown significant benefits. Future research should focus on validating these results through larger cohorts and long-term follow-up to explore the broader application prospects.
Keywords: Porous tantalum, cervical vertebral deformity, thoracic spine tumor, Additive manufacturing, Interbody fusion, clinical efficacy
Received: 09 May 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Fan, Chen, Li, Wang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chang Chen, Center for Joint Surgery, The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.