Abstract
The growing interest in multi-functional metallic biomaterials for bone substitutes challenges the current additive manufacturing (AM, =3D printing) technologies. It is foreseeable that advances in multi-material AM for metallic biomaterials will not only allow for complex geometrical designs, but also improve their multi-functionalities by tuning the types or compositions of the underlying base materials, thereby presenting unprecedented opportunities for advanced orthopedic treatments. AM technologies are yet to be extensively explored for the fabrication of multi-functional metallic biomaterials, especially for bone substitutes. The aim of this review is to present the viable options of the state-of-the-art multi-material AM for Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based biomaterials to be used as bone substitutes. The review starts with a brief review of bone tissue engineering, the design requirements, and fabrication technologies for metallic biomaterials to highlight the advantages of using AM over conventional fabrication methods. Five AM technologies suitable for metal 3D printing are compared against the requirements for multi-material AM. Of these AM technologies, extrusion-based multi-material AM is shown to have the greatest potential to meet the requirements for the fabrication of multi-functional metallic biomaterials. Finally, recent progress in the fabrication of Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based biomaterials including the utilization of multi-material AM technologies is reviewed so as to identify the knowledge gaps and propose the directions of further research for the development of multi-material AM technologies that are applicable for the fabrication of multi-functional metallic biomaterials. Statement of SignificanceAddressing a critical bone defect requires the assistance of multi-functional porous metallic bone substitutes. As one of the most advanced fabrication technology in bone tissue engineering, additive manufacturing is challenged for its viability in multi-material fabrication of metallic biomaterials. This article reviews how the current metal additive manufacturing technologies have been and can be used for multi-material fabrication of Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based bone substitutes. Progress on the Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based biomaterials, including the utilization of multi-material additive manufacturing, are discussed to direct future research for advancing the multi-functional additively manufactured metallic bone biomaterials.
Highlights
The initial efforts of the bone tissue engineering community were mainly focused on fabricating biomaterials that mimic the macrostructure of the natural bone
Recent efforts have been mobilized to produce biomaterials using the Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies that allow for the realization of micro-architectured porous geometries and the placement of the right biomaterial at the right place for bone regeneration
Given the possibility of high-precision manufacturing of complex macro- and micro-architectured porous biomaterials, the AM technologies are undoubtedly linked to the future of metallic biomaterials for bone implants
Summary
Addressing a critical bone defect requires the assistance of multi-functional porous metallic bone substitutes. As one of the most advanced fabrication technology in bone tissue engineering, additive manufacturing is challenged for its viability in multi-material fabrication of metallic biomaterials. This article reviews how the current metal additive manufacturing technologies have been and can be used for multimaterial fabrication of Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based bone substitutes. Progress on the Ti-, Mg-, and Fe-based biomaterials, including the utilization of multi-material additive manufacturing, are discussed to direct future research for advancing the multi-functional additively manufactured metallic bone biomaterials
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