China’s First aXOpore® OTO Bone Repair Surgery Performed at Ruijin Hainan Hospital in Lecheng
Recently, the Ruijin Hospital Hainan Hospital (Ruijin Hainan Hospital), a branch of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine located in the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone, successfully performed a bone tumor resection and reconstruction surgery on a pediatric patient using the aXOpore® OTO bone repair material from Singapore. This marks the first clinical application of this product in China and the world’s first use of aXOpore® OTO in limb‑salvage surgery for pediatric malignant bone tumors.
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. For patients requiring tumor resection and skeletal reconstruction, traditional prosthetic options typically involve custom‑made metal implants. However, the average revision‑free survival of pediatric metal prostheses is approximately 5 to 10 years. For children whose bones are still growing, this means multiple revision surgeries in the future – a process that imposes not only physical and psychological strain but also a heavy economic and caregiving burden on families.
The patient in this case was a 6‑year‑old child who had already undergone two cycles of chemotherapy. The family had been seeking a better limb‑salvage solution to preserve the child’s upper limb function. Dr. Zhang Weibin, Chief of the Orthopedics Department at Ruijin Hospital Shanghai, explained that the surgery innovatively combined a vascularized autologous fibular epiphyseal graft from the lower leg with a custom‑made 3D‑printed aXOpore® OTO bone repair implant to fill the large bone‑joint defect left after tumor resection.
aXOpore® OTO is a bone repair material made of polycaprolactone‑tricalcium phosphate (PCL‑TCP) composite, manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology. Its mechanical properties and porous structure are similar to human cancellous bone, and it gradually degrades in vivo. Unlike conventional metal prostheses, this material is progressively resorbed during the healing process. By inducing the differentiation of autologous bone marrow stem cells, the implant is eventually replaced by the patient’s own bone tissue, potentially eliminating the need for repeated surgeries in adulthood and achieving a “once‑and‑for‑all” therapeutic outcome.
Thanks to the Hainan Free Trade Port’s “zero‑tariff” policy on imported medical devices and the special access policies of the Lecheng Pilot Zone, the cost of this Singapore‑made product in Lecheng has been reduced by approximately 37.5% (including tax exemption) compared to its clinical application cost of about RMB 80,000 in Europe, substantially alleviating the financial burden on patients.
Leveraging Lecheng’s “pioneering pilot” policies, aXOpore® OTO has been introduced into clinical practice in the pilot zone. After comprehensive evaluation by qualified clinicians, patients with extensive bone defects who meet the indications may choose this innovative bone repair solution at Ruijin Hainan Hospital.
