Limb-Salvage Reconstruction of the Proximal Humerus Using Patient-Specific 3D-Printed PEEK Implants: A Midterm Clinical Study.
Patient-specific 3D-printed polyether ether ketone proximal humerus implants had 85.7% survival at midterm follow-up
Limb-Salvage Reconstruction of the Proximal Humerus Using Patient-Specific 3D-Printed PEEK Implants: A Midterm Clinical Study.
Reconstruction of the proximal humerus after wide tumor resection is technically demanding, and traditional methods such as allograft-prosthetic composites, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, and metal implants are limited by graft unavailability, pediatric size mismatch, their high cost, and metal-related stress shielding.
This study reports the first evidence of applying patient-specific 3D-printed polyether ether ketone implants in the proximal humerus.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted on seven patients who underwent wide resection of primary malignant bone tumors of the proximal humerus, followed by reconstruction using patient-specific 3D-printed polyether ether ketone implants.
All patient-specific polyether ether ketone implants were successfully manufactured and implanted with satisfactory geometric accuracy.
Local soft-tissue recurrence occurred in two patients (28.6%), without distant metastasis or tumor-related mortality.
The limb-salvage rate was 100%.
At final follow-up, the mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 23.0 ± 1.6.
Patient-specific 3D-printed polyether ether ketone implants provide a feasible and oncologically safe option for proximal humerus reconstruction after tumor resection, with acceptable midterm implant survival and functional outcomes.
The favorable elastic modulus and radiolucency of polyether ether ketone offer distinct biomechanical and imaging advantages over metallic implants.
Further design optimization and larger prospective studies are warranted to enhance mechanical durability and functional restoration.