Building a better bone: The synergy of 2D nanomaterials and 3D printing for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an increasingly important technology for fabricating complex and customized structures using a range of advanced materials and is now playing a critical role in the field of bone tissue engineering (BTE). Two-dimensional nanomaterials (2D NMs) have demonstrated their significance in biomedical science. The convergence of 2D NMs to 3D printing (3DP) technology to create the desired bone scaffolds has become an alternative approach to breakthrough bottlenecks of remaining challenges in BTE, which can potentially achieve the multifunctionality of a bone substitute. The first part of this review provides an overview of the mechanism and critical comparison of the commonly-used 3DP and bioprinting methods. Each method's strengths and weaknesses are evaluated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state and for future development. Next, the general synthetic approach to produce 2D NMs, including the top-down and bottom-up approaches, is summarized. Furthermore, an in-depth coverage of the recent advances in combining various 2D NMs with specific 3D printing techniques for bone regeneration is covered. By examining the latest research in this field, this study aims to shed light on the potential of 2D NMs and 3DP technology to revolutionize the field of bone regeneration.