Three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydroxyapatite-based scaffolds: A review

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) and HAp-based materials have become popular as ultimate biomaterials in tissue engineering because of their comparable composition to bioapatite. However, the widespread use of HAp in the synthesis of bio-medical materials such as bone, teeth, and cartilage is limited by traditional HAp-based materials fabrication processes. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM) or bioprinting, has recently gained popularity as a fast, precise, controllable, and scalable fabrication process for the production of HAp-based scaffolds. The current review looks at the various 3D printing techniques that can be used to fabricate HAp-based materials. Several 3D printed HAp-based scaffolds are investigated, as well as their desired properties such as mechanical properties, porosity, stability, and biocompatibility studies. HAp-based materials for biomedical engineering are also discussed in terms of their uses and prospects.