A brief review of titanium (Ti)-based bioimplants fabricated using various additive manufacturing methods

Abstract

In recent years, a noticeable growth has been observed in the research and development of manufacturing methods for biomedical implants. Extensive research has been conducted for orthopedic and dental implants due to their huge market size worth 4.5 billion dollars. Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are the most widely acknowledged biomaterials used in the production of orthopedic and dental implants due to their intriguing physical and biological properties including higher mechanical strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. Apart from pure titanium (CP-Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V alloy, β-titanium has recently emerged as one of the important biomaterials for specific orthopedic applications due to its harmless chemical composition and low modulus. Over the years, Ti-based bioimplants were manufactured by conventional machining techniques which were less economical. With the growing demand across the world for the fabrication of customized biomedical implants, researchers were focusing on the development of new approaches and techniques for these implants. Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a potential fabrication method for biomedical implants due to its ability to produce customized products in less time with higher precision and flexibility. In addition, AM-fabricated bioimplants have shown improved osseointegration when compared to conventionally processed implants. In this chapter, various AM methods used for the fabrication of Ti-based implants were summarized with a special focus on the process parameters, microstructure, and related mechanical properties of the end product. Further, the effect of porous structures on the performance of Ti-based bioimplants was highlighted. This study will be helpful in identifying the pros and cons of AM methods in the manufacturing of bioimplants and leads to the advancement of research direction in biomedical sectors. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Abhilash P M, Kishor Kumar Gajrani and Xichun Luo.