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Updated: Sep 27, 2025
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Fabrication of Mechanically Tunable and Bioactive Metal Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications
Published on: December 8, 2015
10.8K
Additively manufactured metallic biomaterials.
Elham Davoodi1,2,3,4, Hossein Montazerian2,3,4, Anooshe Sadat Mirhakimi5
1Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) Laboratory, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Bioactive Materials
|April 7, 2022
Summary
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) enables personalized hard tissue implants with engineered pore architectures for enhanced tissue integration and durability. This review highlights advances in designing and fabricating these advanced metallic biomaterials for medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Engineering
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Metal additive manufacturing (AM) revolutionizes hard tissue substitute fabrication, allowing patient-specific implants.
- Engineered internal pore architectures in AM scaffolds improve tissue integration and implant longevity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest advancements in the design and manufacturing of additively manufactured metallic biomaterials for hard tissue applications.
- To explore design tools, manufacturing processes, and clinical translation efforts for these implants.
Main Methods:
- Introduction to metal AM processes and suitable biocompatible metals.
- Elaboration on design approaches: topology optimization, lattice networks, and triply periodic minimal surfaces.
- Discussion of functionally gradient porous structures and design/processing parameter influences.
Main Results:
- Overview of metal AM techniques and materials for biomedical use.
- Detailed examination of advanced scaffold architectures and design strategies.
- Assessment of implant applications across various tissue types and clinical translation progress.
Conclusions:
- Metal AM offers significant potential for personalized hard tissue implants.
- Further development is needed for broader clinical adoption and material innovation.
- Emerging directions focus on refining AM processes and materials for the medical industry.
