Promoting the Dissemination of 3D Printing Technology in Reconstructing Critical-Sized Defects of Long Bone and Vertebral Body Through a “Six-in-One” Targeted Teaching Method

Bingchuan Liu,* Ben Wang,* Zhengguang Wang, Yang Li, Yun Tian Department of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yang Li, Email liyangdr@bjmu.edu.cn Yun Tian, Email tiany@bjmu.edu.cnIntroduction: Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has revolutionized the treatment of bone defects. However, medical education has lagged in integrating 3D printing into clinical training, limiting its widespread adoption. This study aimed to promote the dissemination of 3D printing technology through a novel, targeted teaching method.Methods: First, we implemented a bibliometrics aiming to identify core research forces and potential breakthrough directions. Then, from January 2022 to January 2025, a prospective cohort of 278 trainees (102 residents and 176 fellows) at a single center participated in a structured six-stage educational program encompassing: (1) foundational 3D printing knowledge, (2) video-assisted learning, (3) hands-on practice with 3D printed anatomical models, (4) virtual reality (VR)-based surgical simulation, (5) multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) discussions, and (6) supervised surgical operations. Teaching effectiveness was evaluated using pre- and post-training theoretical exams, operational assessments, and comprehensive self-evaluation questionnaires.Results: Through the bibliometrics, 3D printing technology has been maintaining a high level of research hotspot, but the targeted education is still vacant. For the teaching study, both resident and fellowship doctors demonstrated statistically significant improvements in theoretical knowledge scores, rising from 14.3 to 32.7 in residents and from 19.1 to 33.3 in fellows (P < 0.001). Residents exhibited a greater magnitude of improvement compared to fellows. Operational metrics showed significant reductions in completion time and intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001), alongside a marked increase in the proportion of “excellent” or “good” procedural quality ratings. Comprehensive ability assessment revealed significant gains across all evaluated domains (P < 0.001), except for self-study ability, which remained stable The total self-evaluation scores improved from 19.5 to 30.1 for residents and from 20.9 to 33.6 for fellows.Conclusion: This targeted, multimodal teaching method significantly enhances theoretical understanding, operative proficiency, and clinical competence in the use of 3D printing technology for bone defect repair.Keywords: medical education, targeted teaching method, 3D printing technology, resident doctor, fellowship doctor