Emerging Functionally Graded Materials for Bio-implant Applications—Design and Manufacturing

Implants are artificial devices that replace damaged body parts and may promote cell proliferation. The need and demand for implant surgery are increasing due to unhealthy lifestyles, trauma, injuries, etc. The implant with customized design and tailored material properties are important due to issues such as stress-shielding and insensitivity/uneasiness after surgery with the conventional implant. In recent years, research in developing new and innovative materials has gained a lot of momentum due to issues caused by the existing materials. However, Functionally Graded Material (FGM) may be a viable option to resolve the problems caused by traditional or mono-material implants. With the development of CAD tools and Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques, it has become possible to design and fabricate customized implants. FGMs has the potential to mimic the actual architecture of natural bone and organ with their degrees of freedom (i.e., design, material microstructure, and functionality). Such implants are expected to be mechanically stable with moderate strength to eliminate stress-shielding and conducive to tissue growth. This chapter briefly elaborates on the aspect of design, material, and fabrication processes to manufacture customized FGM-based implants.