In the age of rapid industrial and medical innovation, 3D printing is no longer a future concept, it’s an active force saving lives. One of the most compelling examples of this can be seen in the work of Dr. James C. Wittig, an internationally recognized orthopedic oncologist and former Chairman of Orthopedics at Morristown Medical Center. In a groundbreaking surgery, Dr. Wittig led a team to perform a limb-sparing operation on a six-year-old child with cancer in their humerus—an exceedingly rare case.

The surgical challenge was immense. At such a young age, preserving arm growth, function, and appearance is uniquely complex. Rather than amputation or the use of donor bone, which carried a high risk of infection, Dr. Wittig designed a solution that combined a free vascularized fibula transplant with a custom 3D printed prosthesis.

“My team and I combined a custom-designed prosthesis with a free vascularized fibula transplant to save this young patient’s arm,” Dr. Wittig explained. The approach involved resecting the cancerous portion of the humerus, harvesting a portion of the patient’s fibula with its blood supply intact, and transplanting it into the arm. To ensure the bone could heal and remain stable, the team designed a unique, clamshell-style 3D printed metal implant to encase and protect the graft.

“The fibula is thin and would take time to strengthen and heal,” Dr. Wittig noted. “We needed something to stabilize the bone long-term while allowing the fibula to grow and eventually take over full function.” The custom prosthesis was engineered to connect to the remaining proximal and distal segments of the humerus and house the fibula centrally—acting as a biological bridge until full integration occurred.

To restore blood flow to the transplanted fibula, Dr. Wittig collaborated with long-time surgical partner Dr. Eric Chang, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, who meticulously reconnected the fibula’s blood vessels to those in the arm. This revascularization enables the transplanted fibula to grow, strengthen, and eventually remodel into a healthy, functional replacement for the resected humerus.

Stabilizing the limb without restricting the patient’s mobility was critical—not only for quality of life but also to allow for post-operative chemotherapy. “Casting the child’s upper body for up to a year wasn’t a viable option,” said Dr. Wittig. “The 3D printed prosthesis gave us the mechanical strength we needed without immobilizing the child.”

The prosthesis itself was custom-built to match the dimensions and contours of the patient’s humerus. The surgical team used 3D printed cutting guides—precision instruments made to fit the bone exactly—to make high-stakes cuts just millimeters from the tumor, preserving vital growth plates at both ends of the bone. The implant is designed to remain in place permanently, though its functional role diminishes over time as the fibula takes over.

While additive manufacturing is becoming more prevalent in adult orthopedic procedures, its application in complex, pediatric cancer cases remains rare. This surgery represents one of the first known uses of a 3D printed prosthetic implant integrated with a vascularized bone transplant to restore limb function in a child this young.

Dr. Wittig now leads Mandala Medical Group, where he continues to innovate in patient-focused healthcare technologies and non-profit initiatives, including the soon-to-launch Pediatric Cancer Foundation New Jersey. He believes this case offers a glimpse into the future of orthopedic oncology, where patient-specific devices, surgical precision, and interdisciplinary design will set new standards for limb-sparing care.

“As surgeons, we’re not just treating disease,” said Dr. Wittig. “We’re building lives back—sometimes from scratch. To do that, we need tools that are as unique as the patients we serve.”

This case illustrates how industrial design, advanced manufacturing, and surgical expertise can align to transform what’s possible in medicine. It’s not just an innovation in orthopedic oncology—it’s a blueprint for a new era in personalized, biomechanical reconstruction.

To learn more about Dr. Wittig’s work and ongoing innovations in orthopedic oncology, visit JamesCWittigMD.com or follow his updates on LinkedIn.

Originally published on Industrial-Innovation.com (The Frontier Hub)