IT sounds like something out of a science fiction movie but the wonders of modern medicine have allowed doctors to grow an artificial ear on a man’s arm.

The man, from north-western China, lost his ear in a horrific car accident last year.

7 Doctors were able to grow an artificial ear in the man's arm after he lost his in a car accident Credit: AsiaWire

7 The ear was modelled with the help of 3D printing technology and using cartilage from his ribs Credit: AsiaWire

7 Doctors removed the ear from the arm and transplanted it to the head in a seven hour long surgery this week Credit: AsiaWire

The injuries on the right side of his head were so severe that doctors were unable to save his ear.

Following his accident, the man, called Ji, was referred to Guo Shuzhong, one of China’s leading plastic surgeons.

This week, the surgeon was able to successfully initiate blood flow to the artificial ear and attach it to his head.

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7 Dr Guo Shuzhong says he and his team perform this surgery on around 500 children a year Credit: AsiaWire

The medic from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, capital of north-western China’s Shaanxi Province, decided to “plant” a fake ear in his arm in November last year.

The realistic ear, which was modelled with the help of 3D-printing technology, was made with cartilage from the patient’s ribs and attached to his forearm under a piece of expanded skin.

There it was allowed to grow for several months until experts deemed it ready for transplant.

7 The ear even has it's own blood flow on the man's head Credit: AsiaWire

7 Surgeons were unable to regenerate the man's actual ear because the scar tissue from the accident was so bad Credit: AsiaWire

7 Surgeon's measured the ear against the man's cartilageto make sure they had enough to grow the ear Credit: AsiaWire

The operation to attach the ear took seven hours.

Ji will remain in hospital under observation for about two weeks until his new ear is fully functioning.

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