AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026090079
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Design, mechanical validation, and clinical application of 3D-printed customized porous tantalum prostheses for total hip arthroplasty in fibrous dysplasia with shepherd’s crook deformity

Hongyun Shao1 Jiawei Ying1 Qida Duan1 Liangkun Sun1 Fuyang Wang1 Yong Wang1 Pinqiao Yi1 Bin Wu1 Ning Luo1 Qifan Yu1 Liangliang Cheng* Dewei Zhao*
Show Less
1 Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
Received: 28 February 2026 | Revised: 18 April 2026 | Accepted: 20 April 2026 | Published online: 22 April 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

For patients with fibrous dysplasia (FD) accompanied by severe "shepherd's crook" deformity, total hip arthroplasty (THA) faces significant challenges due to complex anatomy, pathological bone changes, and prosthesis instability. This study reports an integrated clinical pathway encompassing digital virtual planning, 3D printing customization, and biomechanical evaluation. Using Mimics software, patient CT data were reconstructed and biplanar oblique osteotomy below the greater trochanter was simulated to correct the deformity. An individualized cementless long-stem prosthesis was designed based on the corrected medullary canal, followed by topology optimization and construction of a 70% porosity biomimetic porous structure to induce bone ingrowth. Finite element analysis under 1800N axial load and ±10 N· m torque showed peak stresses of 183.7 MPa in the femoral stem and 316.92 MPa in locking screws, both below material yield limits. Interface micromotion ranged from 0.21 mm to 0.48 mm, within the 0.5 mm threshold for promoting bone ingrowth, confirming superior stability of the 3D-printed porous tantalum customized prosthesis system. Clinical follow-up of two patients demonstrated significantly improved Harris Hip Scores, with one case showing stable prosthesis position with no loosening or subsidence at 5 years postoperatively. This study demonstrates the value of precise, individualized 3D-printed customized prostheses in managing complex femoral anatomical deformities and pathological bone defects.

Keywords
Fibrous dysplasia
Shepherd's crook deformity
3D printing
Total hip arthroplasty
Porous tantalum
Finite element analysis
Funding
This research was funded by the Dalian Dengfeng Plan Medical Key Specialty Construction Project (2021) No. 243, the Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Fund (No. 2024ZDJH01PT140 and No. 2024RQ095), and the Liaoning Provincial Department of Education Basic Scientific Research Project Fund (LJ232511258004).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Share
Back to top
International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing