First humeral head replacement with femoral head a success

A patient is recovering in hospital after undergoing a humeral head replacement using her own femoral head in Baishan, Northeast China's Jilin province.

The patient, a 72-year-old woman, was diagnosed with severe comminuted fracture of the humeral head after falling and hurting herself at home on Jan 16.

On Jan 25, Yao Fayi, an orthopedic surgeon from Baishan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine performed the transplant surgery with the assistance of Chu Zhendong, director of the hospital’s Orthopedic Surgery and another doctor.

The transplant operation lasted about 2.5 hours. It was the first of this kind in the world.

Five days after the surgery, the patient could walk with the help of aid instrument. Now she can put her right arm up and down without requiring any help.

The anatomical structure of the femoral head is similar with and slightly larger than that of the humeral head. The replacement of humeral head with femoral head has better biological properties and higher flexibility.

Yao Fayi, the an orthopedic surgeon who performed the transplant operation checks the patient during a rehabilitation training, in Baishan, Northeast China's Jilin province. [Photo provided to ejilin.gov.cn]