The 3D-printed vertebrae measured 19 centimeters, the longest ever in a successful operation.[Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese doctors set a new record in a spinal operation to replace five vertebrae with 3D-printed replicas.

The 3D-printed vertebrae measured 19 centimeters, the longest ever in a successful operation.

A 41-year-old cancer patient, surname Yuan, underwent the surgery at Peking University Third Hospital on June 12, and has been able to walk by himself since the operation, his doctors said.

During the six-hour procedure, the replica, made from titanium powder, was inserted into his spine to fill the void left after five tumor-affected vertebrae were removed.

Without the pioneering operation, he would likely have been paralyzed, according to the doctors.

In a previous operation on May 6, the tumor was removed, along with the posterior sections of the five vertebrae. The gap was filled with titanium rods and screws -- a traditional treatment that ideally allows for patient mobility.

The 3D-printed bone was used to support the spine after removal of the remaining anterior sections in the June operation. The standard solution of inserting a titanium tube into the missing section would have had major disadvantages.