Vinmec performs rare total elbow megaprosthesis, restoring function after 27 years

Vietnamese healthcare provider Vinmec Healthcare System has successfully carried out a rare and highly complex total elbow megaprosthesis, restoring arm function for a patient who had lived with severe disability for nearly three decades. The procedure marks a notable development in advanced orthopedic surgery in Vietnam.

The patient, Vu Hong Phong, had suffered a severe left-arm disability following a complex elbow injury in his youth. Over the years, the condition worsened, causing chronic inflammation, significant bone loss, restricted mobility, and noticeable shortening of the arm. Despite multiple surgeries at other medical facilities, Phong experienced little improvement.

At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, clinicians classified his case as an exceptionally complex post-traumatic sequela. Dr. Tran Quyet, Head of Upper Limb Surgery at Vinmec’s Musculoskeletal and Orthopedic Trauma Center, described the case as “extremely rare with a very high level of complexity, with virtually no precedents in Vietnam.”

The patient’s elbow joint was fully fused and unstable, with an estimated 6-centimetre defect in the distal humerus, resulting in the left arm being 4–5 centimetres shorter than the right. Such extensive anatomical loss placed the case beyond the scope of standard elbow replacement. Historically, megaprostheses were primarily developed for limb-salvage surgery in bone cancer, and their use in non-oncologic elbow reconstruction remains uncommon.

After detailed multidisciplinary planning, Vinmec’s team opted for a total elbow megaprosthesis combined with reconstruction of the bone defect. Using in-house 3D technology, surgeons recreated Phong’s elbow anatomy virtually, allowing them to design a prosthesis customised to his specific condition.

The operation was completed successfully without nerve or vascular complications. Within three days, Phong could gently move his arm, and by two weeks he was able to fully extend and flex his elbow, abduct his arm, and raise it overhead. “After nearly 30 years, I finally feel like I have a normal arm again,” Phong said.

Vinmec has previously carried out a number of pioneering procedures, including a personalised 3D-printed total femoral replacement for a child with aggressive bone cancer in 2025 and Southeast Asia’s first fully 3D-printed titanium chest wall reconstruction.

These achievements reflect the healthcare system’s focus on multidisciplinary collaboration and advanced technology in addressing complex cases.

Cases such as Phong’s demonstrate the potential of highly specialised surgical interventions for patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options, highlighting Vinmec’s growing profile as a centre for advanced orthopedic care.