Three-Year Follow-Up of a Traumatic Critical-Sized Tibial Bone Defect Treated with a 3D Printed Titanium Cage

Abstract

Case: We report a case involving a 21-year-old woman who sustained a Grade III open pilon fracture of the left ankle during a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a 12-cm critical-sized bone defect (CSD) that was successfully treated with a three-dimensional (3D) printed titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) cage, a tibiotalocalcaneal intramedullary nail, and autogenous and allograft bone. The patient’s reported outcome measures were comparable with those reported for non-CSD injuries at 3-year follow-up. The authors conclude that 3D printed titanium cages offers a unique approach to traumatic limb salvage for tibial CSD. Conclusions: 3D printing offers a novel solution to CSDs. To the best of our knowledge, this case report details the largest 3D printed cage, to date, used to treat tibial bone loss. This report describes a unique approach to traumatic limb salvage with favorable patient-reported outcomes and evidence of radiographic fusion at a 3-year follow up.