3D printed biomaterials: From fabrication techniques to clinical applications: A systematic review

Abstract

The type of biomaterial employed in the manufacturing of an implant determines its success. The material for implants should be easily adaptable, inert biocompatible, and mechanically robust. But the ideal properties may vary depending on the specific application and patient needs. In the pharmaceutical and medical industries, 3D printing technology has revolutionised the capacity to create customised implants for patients that are integrated with bioactive medications, cells, and proteins. Currently, a wide range of biomaterials such as ceramics, polymers, metals, hydrogels and composites are employed in medical 3D printing. Various applications of 3D printing such as manufacture of personalised implants, prostheses, drug delivery systems and 3D scaffolds for biological tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have grown quickly as a result of ongoing research and advancements in the biomaterials used in 3D printing. In this study, novel biomaterials utilised in medical 3D printing techniques are the main subject of interest. Furthermore, the present review sheds light on the most widely used medical 3D printing technologies, including fused deposition modelling, extrusion-based bioprinting, polyjet printing, and inkjet methods, as well as their clinical applications, different biomaterials that are presently under investigation by researchers, and important challenges.