Biomaterial Based Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been applied to the field of medical engineering since its beginning. It takes into account individual differences and tailors treatment to patients. At present, the design and additive manufacturing of personalized medical implants and prostheses has become the optimal approach, and it has proved to be a reliable solution for many patients who require prosthesis implantation. Many metallic, ceramic and polymeric materials can be used for medical implants. These biomaterials need to have good cell compatibility, without toxic ion release and with similar mechanical properties to human tissues, as well as a suitable degradation rate. However, obtaining an ideal material for tissue engineering via material design is still a problem to be overcome. In this chapter, different types of biomaterials as well as their modification methods are introduced. In addition, recent advances in biomaterial based additive manufacturing are covered, for example, designing an ideal structure which can not only bear loads or stresses but also transfer nutrients required for cell differentiation. More and more biological applications will certainly emerge in the future with the advancement of additive manufacturing technology and biomaterials.