LATTICE-STRUCTURED TITANIUM BONE IMPLANTS VIA 3D PRINTING

Lattice-structured titanium bone implants fabricated via additive manufacturing (AM) offer pioneer solutions for orthopedic applications due to their ability to mimic bone's mechanical and biological properties. The design of lattice structures enables customization of mechanical stiffness and enhances osseointegration in implant functionality with their controllable hierarchical architecture. This study uses the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method to produce commercially pure titanium (Cp-Ti) and Ti6Al4V bone implants for assessing their suitability for load or non-load-bearing applications. Mechanical response of L-PBF manufactured Cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V gyroid lattice structures revealed controllable design abilities according to different volume fractions. Mechanical varieties of experimental L-PBF gyroid structures were supported by analytical techniques such as Timoshenko Beam Theory and Gibson-Ashby in lattice design development. The experimental results for both materials show a notable reduction in elastic modulus when analyzed using two analytical techniques (Figure 1). This reduction is attributed to stress concentrations introduced during manufacturing within the physical gyroid structures. The experimental data aligns more closely with the predictions of the Timoshenko beam theory than with the Gibson-Ashby model. Both gyroid titanium structures conform to Timoshenko theory, exhibiting multiple deformation behaviors rather than a single, uniform deformation mode. Biological assessments, such as cell adhesion and proliferation studies, were conducted to evaluate the impact of the Polymer (Polylactic Acid: PLA) / Calcium Phosphate (CaP) composite coating on gyroid Cp-Ti structures. The modified coating demonstrated beneficial effects on implant functionality in in-vitro experiments. Confocal imaging revealed enhanced cell proliferation on the coated surfaces, with PLA: CaP (30–50%) promoting improved cell adhesion and subsequently accelerating cell proliferation. Biocompatibility tests of the optimized coatings confirmed their stability on titanium surfaces over 7 days [2]. The results highlight the potential of 3D-printed titanium lattice implants as a transformative approach for personalized and effective bone repair. Based on these research outcomes, we can estimate that such a production technology may help develop custom-made personalized biomedical implants in the near future. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly.