A 19-centimeter 3D-printed artificial spine piece was implanted into the body of a patient diagnosed with chordoma in Beijing, according to a report on Beijing Morning Post.

The Peking University Third Hospital conducted this surgery on a man surnamed Yuan diagnosed with chordoma, and they implanted an artificial vertebra created on a 3D printer. As Yuan had malignant tumor on his thoracic vertebra and lumbar vertebra, the hospital had no choice other than to remove this tumor. Meanwhile, the hospital had to find a method to maintain normal function within the vertebra column.

Liu Zhongjun, director of orthopedics at the hospital, applied more advanced material based on 3D-printed implants.

After the 6-hour surgery, Yuan was already considered to be in stable situation and he can live now as ordinary people thanks to artificial 3D-pringting technology.