Additive manufacturing (AM, also known as 3D printing) is an advanced manufacturing technique that has enabled progress in the design and fabrication of customised or patient-specific (meta-)biomaterials and biomedical devices (e.g., implants, prosthetics, and orthotics) with complex internal microstructures and tuneable properties. In the past few decades, several design guidelines have been proposed for creating porous lattice structures, particularly for biomedical applications. Meanwhile, the capabilities of AM to fabricate a wide range of biomaterials, including metals and their alloys, polymers, and ceramics, have been exploited, offering unprecedented benefits to medical professionals and patients alike. In this review article, we provide an overview of the design principles that have been developed and used for the AM of biomaterials as well as those dealing with three major categories of biomaterials, i.e., metals (and their alloys), polymers, and ceramics. The design strategies can be categorised as: library-based design, topology optimisation, bio-inspired design, and meta-biomaterials. Recent developments related to the biomedical applications and fabrication methods of AM aimed at enhancing the quality of final 3D-printed biomaterials and improving their physical, mechanical, and biological characteristics are also highlighted. Finally, examples of 3D-printed biomaterials with tuned properties and functionalities are presented.

In this research, ten fresh specimens of sheep tibiae were provided from slaughtered animals. Whole bone specimens were loaded in three-point bending according to standard wet bone test protocols. Mechanical properties were determined and compared with the results which were obtained from two dry bone tests. The results showed that fracture bending moment and bone extrinsic stiffness had significant relations with fracture cross-section dependent parameters (i.e., cross-section area and area moment of inertia). Where, fracture energy and ultimate strength did not have such a relation with these parameters. Finite element modeling of bone shaft was made with simplified geometry (neglecting cross-section variations along bone shaft) in two steps: First, by elliptical cross-section and second, by circular cross-section, assuming linear elastic and isotropic properties for the specimens. Elastic (Young’s) modulus and fracture load, evaluated from curves obtained from tests, were applied to the finite element model and close results of maximum stress in both test specimen and first (elliptical cross-section) model showed up. There was an average difference of about 2% between ultimate strength of wet bone specimens and maximum (tensile) stress occurred in the elliptical models. However, this value for circular models was about 16%.

Head injuries in motor vehicle crashes have high significance due to their fatal effects on the nervous system of passengers and pedestrians. In this study, using models of motorcyclists’ helmet and the human head, two cases of head impact with a rigid surface are simulated by Finite Element Analysis; first, the impact of the head protected by the helmet and then, that of the unprotected head. In each simulation, impact parameters such as HIC, mass center velocity of the head, and pressures produced in the brain are calculated and corresponding parameters are compared with each other, which quantitatively represents the influence of the helmet on reduction of injuries to the head. Comparison of the results obtained in this study with those of previous researches indicates that if an appropriate finite element model is developed and used, FEM will lead to acceptable results in head impact simulations.