3D Printing of Bioinert Oxide Ceramics for Medical Applications

Abstract

Three-dimensionally printed metals and polymers have been widely used and studied in medical applications, yet ceramics also require attention. Ceramics are versatile materials thanks to their excellent properties including high mechanical properties and hardness, good thermal and chemical behavior, and appropriate, electrical, and magnetic properties, as well as good biocompatibility. Manufacturing complex ceramic structures employing conventional manufacturing methods, such as ceramic injection molding or die pressing, as well as machining, is extremely challenging. Thus, 3D printing breaks in as an appropriate solution for complex shapes. Amongst the different ceramics, bioinert ceramics appear to be promising because of their physical properties, which, for example, are similar to those of a replaced tissue, with minimal toxic response. In this way, this review focuses on the different medical applications that can be achieved by 3D printing of bioinert ceramics, as well as on the latest advances in the 3D printing of bioinert ceramics. Moreover, an in-depth comparison of the different AM technologies used in ceramics is presented to help choose the appropriate methods depending on the part geometry.

Future directions in ceramic additive manufacturing: Fiber reinforcements and artificial intelligence

“…49 The dental application space has the next highest representation, making up 24% of the application specific reviews. This also correlates well with composition, where 60% cover oxide ceramics that are of interest in both the dental 32,129,158 and biomedical 18 fields. Oxide ceramics generally are easier to densify, requiring moderate sintering temperatures (∼<1600 • C) and environmental conditions, as compared to nonoxides that require temperatures ∼1700 • C and above along with controlled inert environment.…”

“…In order to assess and analyze recent review articles in this area, a Scopus search was conducted in April 2023 for the specific time frame of 2018–2023. This search resulted in 165 review articles on ceramic additive manufacturing or some subset of that topic 1,3–166 . Figure 1 shows a graphical representation of the number of review articles separated into five focus areas.…”

Additive Manufacturing of Bioceramic Implants for Restoration Bone Engineering: Technologies, Advances, and Future Perspectives

“…Usually, bioinert ceramics are biocompatible and are commonly used as bone materials, artificial joints, vascular stents, and artificial heart valves. Bioinert ceramic implants can remain physically and chemically stable in the in vivo environment for a long time, and no or only weak corrosion, degradation, and biochemical reactions occur . Additively manufactured bioinert ceramics have the advantages of high strength and wear resistance, but poor bioinductivity fails to promote bone stimulation.…”

Application of innovative software to the subject Project I of the Degree in Engineering in Industrial Technologies (GETI)

“…It consists of the design and manufacture of a 3D printed support that helps to fix the micrometer and the shafts when measuring (Figure 1). An example of a support was presented in the CNIM2021 conference [7]. 3D printed supports are commonly employed in industry to fix parts, both in machines and in measuring instruments.…”