Sustainable and Programmable Hydrogels for Bone Regeneration: A Perspective on Green Synthesis and Precision Fabrication

ABSTRACT Natural hydrogels are attractive candidates for bone tissue engineering because of their biocompatibility, renewability, and structural similarity to the extracellular matrix. However, their clinical translation is constrained by insufficient mechanical strength, together with unresolved trade‐offs among green synthesis, programmable responsiveness, precision manufacturing, and long‐term in vivo reliability. In this perspective, we argue that the future development of programmable natural hydrogels should move beyond the simple discovery of new natural polymers or the accumulation of multiple functions. Instead, rational design should focus on integrating green cross‐linking, stage‐specific biological programming, and precision manufacturing while critically evaluating manufacturability, sterilization, storage stability, and regulatory feasibility. We further discuss how these competing requirements can be balanced to guide the development of clinically translatable hydrogel‐based bone implants.