Researchers in Texas, USA, have successfully used 3D printing to recreate a section of the human femur that matches the strength and flexibility of the real bone, marking a significant step forward in medical modeling. The project, which successfully 3D-printed a human femur segment capable of withstanding stress similar to that of a natural bone, was detailed in a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
Often regarded as the body’s longest and strongest bone, the femur plays a key role in weight-bearing and mobility. The printed version, an 8-inch midsection with a diameter of about one inch, held up under rigorous mechanical testing. Researchers said its internal structure was optimized to endure even greater force than natural bone.
The model was made from polylactic acid, a low-cost, biodegradable plastic. The total cost to produce it? Around $7. That’s a fraction of the price of traditional synthetic bone models or cadaver-sourced femurs.
Printed bones improve surgical planning and patient communication
Dr. Robert Weinschenk, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said the achievement opens the door to cost-effective tools for both patient care and research. “The gold-standard way to do it is to get cadaver bones, but there are always issues with that,” he said.
Beyond performance testing, the printed bones are already finding use in surgical planning. Surgeons can now create personalized bone models based on patient scans to rehearse procedures or explain upcoming surgeries to patients. Instead of a flat image, patients hold the model of their own bone, Weinschenk explained.
The team behind the study includes orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Samade, mechanical engineer Dr. Wei Li from the University of Texas at Dallas, and graduate student Kishore Mysore Nagaraja. Together, they spent months refining the printing process to mimic the natural mechanics of bone.
New possibilities in bone regeneration and grafting
One potential future application lies in bone regeneration. Dr. Li noted that 3D-printed bone structures could eventually act as scaffolds to guide new bone growth. When seeded with stem cells, such scaffolds may gradually dissolve, allowing new tissue to replace them, much like how traditional bone grafts function.
The FDA approved the first 3D-printed bone graft to promote natural growth in 2022, and clinical use has followed. The North Texas team hopes their work can help expand access to similar tools by reducing production costs.
Since publishing the study, the group has expanded its focus to include other bones, such as the humerus, radius, and tibia. Future research will explore how diseased or damaged bones respond to pressure and twisting—insights that could lead to stronger surgical implants and new procedures.
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