Biomimetic design considerations for 3D-printed joints

3D-printing innovations are being explored as a uniting framework for the future of individualized joint replacement. The ability to convert 2D medical images to adjustable 3D models means a patient’s own anatomy can serve as the foundation for implant design. There are three biomimetic design considerations to understand the research on these new implants. First, optimizing the unit cell of 3D models can give researchers the essential building block necessary to 3D-print reliable artificial joints. Second, adequate porosity when designing a 3D-printed biomimetic joint is a balance between strength and the need for osseointegration. Third, functionally graded material as a design principle connects unit cell and porosity to create a 3D-printed product with complex properties along different spacial axes. 3D printing offers the opportunity to incorporate biomimetic design principles that were previously unobtainable with traditional manufacturing methods.