Biomedical Applications of Polymer and Composite Based Additive Manufacturing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 25785

Special Issue Editors

3D Printing and Visualization Centre, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Boszorkány, Hungary
Interests: additive manufacturing; medical simulation; material science; medical device development; polymers; composites; mechanical characterization; structural characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Gewerbestrasse 14, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Interests: CAD/CAM; additive manufacturing; virtual surgical planning; cranio-maxillofacial surgery; innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing technologies are reshaping the healthcare industry on a global level, involving medical prevention, diagnostic, and intervention. This Special Issue entitled “Biomedical Applications of Polymer- and Composite-Based Additive Manufacturing and the Development of 3D and 4D Printing Biomaterials” is devoted to the dissemination of high-quality original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and meta-analyses on recent achievements in this multi- and interdisciplinary field.

The use of 3D and 4D printing technologies based on polymer and composite materials have undoubtedly become fundamental in everyday clinical applications. Every new idea, development, or state-of-the-art biomedical procedure strongly depends on the right material selection, and polymeric materials can offer a wide spectrum of mechanical and structural characteristics, along with diverse functional properties. Additive manufacturing can effectively support modeling and prototyping of medical devices, surgical guides, or laboratory equipment, also supporting the fabrication of personalized implants or helping in the design and production of scaffolds for tissue engineering, offering a low-cost and tailorable solution for professionals on the biomedical field. The development of new approaches of additive manufacturing methods further increases the possibilities that different polymers and composites can provide. Regarding the continuous and intensive research activity on this area, it is essential to critically evaluate and characterize novel materials, in terms of structural, mechanical, and thermal behaviors, with special attention to biocompatibility and functionality.

With a focus on biomedical, preclinical, and clinical applications, potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Development and synthesis of polymeric materials used in 3D/4D printing;
  • Analysis of polymeric materials for 3D printing for 3D/4D printing;
  • Structural characterization of polymeric materials for 3D/4D printing;
  • Mechanical characterization of polymeric materials for 3D/4D printing;
  • Thermal characterization of polymeric materials used in 3D/4D printing;
  • Design, prototyping, and fabrication of polymer- and composite based devices;
  • Design and fabrication of biomimetic polymer-based devices with 3D/4D printing;
  • Processing and performance of polymeric materials;
  • Functional polymeric materials;
  • Bio-based polymeric materials;
  • Biodegradability of polymeric materials.

Dr. Peter Maroti
Prof. Dr. Florian M. Thieringer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymer-based materials
  • development, synthesis, physics, and analysis
  • additive manufacturing
  • polymers
  • composites
  • 3D/4D printing
  • functional polymeric materials
  • clinical applications of 3D/4D printing
  • medical device development
  • bio-based polymeric materials
  • 3D/4D polymeric scaffolds
  • biomaterials
  • mechanical characterization
  • structural characterization
  • bioprinting
  • scaffolds
  • medical devices and implants

Published Papers (9 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 1645 KiB  
Article
Therapy of Extensive Chronic Skin Defects after a Traumatic Injury Due to Microbial Contamination Using a Surface Implant Made of a Biocompatible Polycaprolactone—A Pilot Case Study
by Alena Findrik Balogová, Martin Kožár, Radka Staroňová, Marek Schnitzer, Gabriela Dancáková, Jozef Živčák and Radovan Hudák
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14235293 - 03 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1350
Abstract
This case study describes the use of additive manufacturing technology combining a biodegradable polymer material, polycaprolactone (PCL), and innovative procedures for creating superficial wound dressing, a scaffold in the therapy of extensive contaminated skin defects caused by a traumatic injury. Chronic and contaminated [...] Read more.
This case study describes the use of additive manufacturing technology combining a biodegradable polymer material, polycaprolactone (PCL), and innovative procedures for creating superficial wound dressing, a scaffold in the therapy of extensive contaminated skin defects caused by a traumatic injury. Chronic and contaminated wounds represent a clinical problem and require intensive wound care. The application of a temporary scaffold-facilitated bridging of the wound edges resulted in faster tissue regeneration and a shorter defect closure time, compared to other conservative and surgical methods used in therapy of chronic wounds. Although this procedure has proven to be an optimal alternative to autologous transplants, further studies with a larger number of patients would be beneficial. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

10 pages, 1273 KiB  
Article
Development of Phantoms for Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Particle Imaging
by Maria Alejandra Ardila Arenas, Dirk Gutkelch, Olaf Kosch, Rüdiger Brühl, Frank Wiekhorst and Norbert Löwa
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 3925; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14193925 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1352
Abstract
Phantoms are crucial for the development of imaging techniques based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). They serve as test objects to simulate application scenarios but are also used for quality assurance and interlaboratory comparisons. Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is excellent for specifically detecting magnetic [...] Read more.
Phantoms are crucial for the development of imaging techniques based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). They serve as test objects to simulate application scenarios but are also used for quality assurance and interlaboratory comparisons. Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is excellent for specifically detecting magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) without any background signals. To obtain information about the surrounding soft tissue, MPI is often used in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For such application scenarios, this poses a challenge for phantom fabrication, as they need to accommodate MNP as well as provide MR visibility. Recently, layer-by-layer fabrication of parts using Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a powerful tool for creating complex and patient-specific phantoms, but these are characterized by poor MR visibility of the AM material. We present the systematic screening of AM materials as candidates for multimodal MRI/MPI imaging. Of all investigated materials, silicone (Dreve, Biotec) exhibited the best properties with sufficient MR-signal performance and the lowest absorption of MNP at the interface of AM materials. With the help of AM and the selection of appropriate materials, we have been able to produce suitable MRI/MPI phantoms. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

33 pages, 52538 KiB  
Article
Pierre Robin Sequence and 3D Printed Personalized Composite Appliances in Interdisciplinary Approach
by Andrej Thurzo, Barbora Šufliarsky, Wanda Urbanová, Martin Čverha, Martin Strunga and Ivan Varga
Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3858; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14183858 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4348
Abstract
This paper introduces a complex novel concept and methodology for the creation of personalized biomedical appliances 3D-printed from certified biocompatible photopolymer resin Dental LT Clear (V2). The explained workflow includes intraoral and CT scanning, patient virtualization, digital appliance design, additive manufacturing, and clinical [...] Read more.
This paper introduces a complex novel concept and methodology for the creation of personalized biomedical appliances 3D-printed from certified biocompatible photopolymer resin Dental LT Clear (V2). The explained workflow includes intraoral and CT scanning, patient virtualization, digital appliance design, additive manufacturing, and clinical application with evaluation of the appliance intended for patients with cranio-facial syndromes. The presented concept defines virtual 3D fusion of intraoral optical scan and segmented CT as sufficient and accurate data defining the 3D surface of the face, intraoral and airway morphology necessary for the 3D design of complex personalized intraoral and extraoral parts of the orthopedic appliance. A central aspect of the concept is a feasible utilization of composite resin for biomedical prototyping of the sequence of marginally different appliances necessary to keep the pace with the patient rapid growth. Affordability, noninvasiveness, and practicality of the appliance update process shall be highlighted. The methodology is demonstrated on a particular case of two-year-old infant with Pierre Robin sequence. Materialization by additive manufacturing of this photopolymer provides a highly durable and resistant-to-fracture two-part appliance similar to a Tübingen palatal plate, for example. The paper concludes with the viability of the described method and material upon interdisciplinary clinical evaluation of experts from departments of orthodontics and cleft anomalies, pediatric pneumology and phthisiology, and pediatric otorhinolaryngology. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 5223 KiB  
Article
Unmodified Gum Arabic/Chitosan/Nanohydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Hydrogels as Potential Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration
by Lara E. Makar, Norhan Nady, Ahmed Abd El-Fattah, Neivin Shawky and Sherif H. Kandil
Polymers 2022, 14(15), 3052; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14153052 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2186
Abstract
In this work, physical cross-linking was used to create nanocomposite hydrogels composed of unmodified gum arabic (GA), chitosan (Ch), and natural nanohydroxyapatite (nHA), using an acrylic acid (AA) solvent. Different GA/chitosan contents (15%, 25%, and 35% of the used AA) as well as [...] Read more.
In this work, physical cross-linking was used to create nanocomposite hydrogels composed of unmodified gum arabic (GA), chitosan (Ch), and natural nanohydroxyapatite (nHA), using an acrylic acid (AA) solvent. Different GA/chitosan contents (15%, 25%, and 35% of the used AA) as well as different nHA contents (2, 5, and 10 wt.%), were used and studied. The natural nHA and the fabricated GA/Ch/nHA nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized using different analysis techniques. Using acrylic acid solvent produced novel hydrogels with compressive strength of 15.43–22.20 MPa which is similar to that of natural cortical bone. The addition of natural nHA to the hydrogels resulted in a significant improvement in the compressive strength of the fabricated hydrogels. In vitro studies of water absorption and degradation—and in vivo studies—confirmed that the nanocomposite hydrogels described here are biodegradable, biocompatible, and facilitate apatite formation while immersed in the simulated body fluid (SBF). In light of these findings, the GA/Ch/nHA nanocomposite hydrogels are recommended for preparing bioactive nanoscaffolds for testing in bone regeneration applications. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 7205 KiB  
Article
Development of Nanocoated Filaments for 3D Fused Deposition Modeling of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Materials
by Turdimuhammad Abdullah, Rayyan O. Qurban, Mohamed Sh. Abdel-Wahab, Numan A. Salah, Ammar AbdulGhani Melaibari, Mazin A. Zamzami and Adnan Memić
Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14132645 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2062
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is one of the most futuristic manufacturing technologies, allowing on-demand manufacturing of products with highly complex geometries and tunable material properties. Among the different 3D-printing technologies, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most popular one due to its affordability, adaptability, [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is one of the most futuristic manufacturing technologies, allowing on-demand manufacturing of products with highly complex geometries and tunable material properties. Among the different 3D-printing technologies, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most popular one due to its affordability, adaptability, and pertinency in many areas, including the biomedical field. Yet, only limited amounts of materials are commercially available for FDM, which hampers their application potential. Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is one of the biocompatible and biodegradable thermoplastics that could be subjected to FDM printing for healthcare applications. However, microbial contamination and the formation of biofilms is a critical issue during direct usage of thermoplastics, including PBS. Herein, we developed a composite filament containing polybutylene succinate (PBS) and lignin for FDM printing. Compared to pure PBS, the PBS/lignin composite with 2.5~3.5% lignin showed better printability and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. We further coated silver/zinc oxide on the printed graft to enhance their antimicrobial performance and obtain the strain-specific antimicrobial activity. We expect that the developed approach can be used in biomedical applications such as patient-specific orthoses. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 23963 KiB  
Article
3D Printed Strontium and Zinc Doped Hydroxyapatite Loaded PEEK for Craniomaxillofacial Implants
by Faisal Manzoor, Atefeh Golbang, Dorian Dixon, Elena Mancuso, Usaid Azhar, Ioannis Manolakis, Daniel Crawford, Alistair McIlhagger and Eileen Harkin-Jones
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1376; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14071376 - 28 Mar 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3203
Abstract
In this study, Strontium (Sr) and Zinc (Zn) doped-HA nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated into polyetheretherketone (PEEK) up to 30 wt.% and processed by a novel approach i.e., fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing for the production of patient specific cranial implants with [...] Read more.
In this study, Strontium (Sr) and Zinc (Zn) doped-HA nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated into polyetheretherketone (PEEK) up to 30 wt.% and processed by a novel approach i.e., fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing for the production of patient specific cranial implants with improved bioactivity and the required mechanical performance. Filaments were produced via extrusion and subsequently 3D-printed using FDM. To further improve the bioactivity of the 3D-printed parts, the samples were dip-coated in polyethylene glycol-DOPA (PEG-DOPA) solution. The printing quality was influenced by filler loading, but was not significantly influenced by the nature of doped-HA. Hence, the printing conditions were optimized for each sample. Micro-CT and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed a uniform distribution of bioceramic particles in PEEK. Although agglomeration of particles increased with increase in filler loadings. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed that the melting point and crystallinity of PEEK increased with an increase in doped-HA loading from 343 °C to 355 °C and 27.7% to 34.6%, respectively. Apatite formation was confirmed on the 3D-printed samples after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7, 14 and 28 days via SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The tensile strength and impact strength decreased from 75 MPa to 51 MPa and 14 kJ/m2 to 4 kJ/m2, respectively, while Young’s modulus increased with increasing doped-HA content from 2.8 GPa to 4.2 GPa. However, the tensile strengths of composites remained in the range of human cortical bone i.e., ≥50 MPa. In addition, there was a slight increase in mechanical strength after 28 days immersion which was attributed to apatite formation. Water contact angle showed that the hydrophilicity of the samples improved after coating the 3D-printed samples with PEG-DOPA. Hence, based on the results, the 3D-printed PEEK nanocomposites with 20 wt.% doped-HA is selected as the best candidate for the 3D-printing of craniomaxillofacial implants. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5130 KiB  
Article
Additive-Free Gelatine-Based Devices for Chondral Tissue Regeneration: Shaping Process Comparison among Mould Casting and Three-Dimensional Printing
by Margherita Montanari, Alex Sangiorgi, Elisabetta Campodoni, Giada Bassi, Davide Gardini, Monica Montesi, Silvia Panseri, Alessandra Sanson, Anna Tampieri and Monica Sandri
Polymers 2022, 14(5), 1036; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14051036 - 04 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1521
Abstract
Gelatine is a well-known and extensively studied biopolymer, widely used in recent decades to create biomaterials in many different ways, exploiting its molecular resemblance with collagen, the main constituent of the extra-cellular matrix, from which it is derived. Many have employed this biopolymer [...] Read more.
Gelatine is a well-known and extensively studied biopolymer, widely used in recent decades to create biomaterials in many different ways, exploiting its molecular resemblance with collagen, the main constituent of the extra-cellular matrix, from which it is derived. Many have employed this biopolymer in tissue engineering and chemically modified (e.g., gelatin methacryloyl) or blended it with other polymers (e.g., alginate) to modulate or increase its performances and printability. Nevertheless, little is reported about its use as a stand-alone material. Moreover, despite the fact that multiple works have been reported on the realization of mould-casted and three-dimensional printed scaffolds in tissue engineering, a clear comparison among these two shaping processes, towards a comparable workflow starting from the same material, has never been published. Herein, we report the use of gelatine as stand-alone material, not modified, blended, or admixed to be processed or crosslinked, for the realization of suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering, towards the two previously mentioned shaping processes. To make the comparison reliable, the same pre-process (e.g., the gelatin solution preparation) and post-process (e.g., freeze-drying and crosslinking) steps were applied. In this study, gelatine solution was firstly rheologically characterized to find a formulation suitable for being processed with both the shaping processes selected. The realized scaffolds were then morphologically, phisico-chemically, mechanically, and biologically characterized to determine and compare their performances. Despite the fact that the same starting material was employed, as well as the same pre- and post-process steps, the two groups resulted, for most aspects, in diametrically opposed characteristics. The mould-casted scaffolds that resulted were characterized by small, little-interconnected, and random porosity, high resistance to compression and slow cell colonization, while the three-dimensional printed scaffolds displayed big, well-interconnected, and geometrically defined porosity, high elasticity and recover ability after compression, as well as fast and deep cell colonization. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 3994 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of PCL/HA Filament as a 3D Printing Material Using Thermal Extrusion Technology for Bone Tissue Engineering
by Fengze Wang, Esma Bahar Tankus, Francesco Santarella, Nadja Rohr, Neha Sharma, Sabrina Märtin, Mirja Michalscheck, Michaela Maintz, Shuaishuai Cao and Florian M. Thieringer
Polymers 2022, 14(4), 669; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14040669 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5503
Abstract
The most common three-dimensional (3D) printing method is material extrusion, where a pre-made filament is deposited layer-by-layer. In recent years, low-cost polycaprolactone (PCL) material has increasingly been used in 3D printing, exhibiting a sufficiently high quality for consideration in cranio-maxillofacial reconstructions. To increase [...] Read more.
The most common three-dimensional (3D) printing method is material extrusion, where a pre-made filament is deposited layer-by-layer. In recent years, low-cost polycaprolactone (PCL) material has increasingly been used in 3D printing, exhibiting a sufficiently high quality for consideration in cranio-maxillofacial reconstructions. To increase osteoconductivity, prefabricated filaments for bone repair based on PCL can be supplemented with hydroxyapatite (HA). However, few reports on PCL/HA composite filaments for material extrusion applications have been documented. In this study, solvent-free fabrication for PCL/HA composite filaments (HA 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% weight/weight PCL) was addressed, and parameters for scaffold fabrication in a desktop 3D printer were confirmed. Filaments and scaffold fabrication temperatures rose with increased HA content. The pore size and porosity of the six groups’ scaffolds were similar to each other, and all had highly interconnected structures. Six groups’ scaffolds were evaluated by measuring the compressive strength, elastic modulus, water contact angle, and morphology. A higher amount of HA increased surface roughness and hydrophilicity compared to PCL scaffolds. The increase in HA content improved the compressive strength and elastic modulus. The obtained data provide the basis for the biological evaluation and future clinical applications of PCL/HA material. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 4121 KiB  
Article
Development of a Novel X-ray Compatible 3D-Printed Bone Model to Characterize Different K-Wire Fixation Methods in Support of the Treatment of Pediatric Radius Fractures
by Anna Gabriella Lamberti, Zoltan Ujfalusi, Roland Told, Dániel Hanna, Gergő Józsa and Péter Maróti
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4179; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234179 - 29 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1761
Abstract
Additive manufacturing technologies are essential in biomedical modeling and prototyping. Polymer-based bone models are widely used in simulating surgical interventions and procedures. Distal forearm fractures are the most common pediatric fractures, in which the Kirschner wire fixation is the most widely used operative [...] Read more.
Additive manufacturing technologies are essential in biomedical modeling and prototyping. Polymer-based bone models are widely used in simulating surgical interventions and procedures. Distal forearm fractures are the most common pediatric fractures, in which the Kirschner wire fixation is the most widely used operative method. However, there is still lingering controversy throughout the published literature regarding the number of wires and sites of insertion. This study aims to critically compare the biomechanical stability of different K-wire fixation techniques. Different osteosyntheses were reconstructed on 189 novel standardized bone models, which were created using 3D printing and molding techniques, using PLA and polyurethane materials, and it has been characterized in terms of mechanical behavior and structure. X-ray imaging has also been performed. The validation of the model was successful: the relative standard deviations (RSD = 100 × SD × mean−1, where RSD is relative standard deviation, SD is the standard deviation) of the mechanical parameters varied between 1.1% (10° torsion; 6.52 Nm ± 0.07 Nm) and 5.3% (5° torsion; 4.33 Nm ± 0.23 Nm). The simulated fractures were fixed using two K-wires inserted from radial and dorsal directions (crossed wire fixation) or both from the radial direction, in parallel (parallel wire fixation). Single-wire fixations with shifted exit points were also included. Additionally, three-point bending tests with dorsal and radial load and torsion tests were performed. We measured the maximum force required for a 5 mm displacement of the probe under dorsal and radial loads (means for crossed wire fixation: 249.5 N and 355.9 N; parallel wire fixation: 246.4 N and 308.3 N; single wire fixation: 115.9 N and 166.5 N). We also measured the torque required for 5° and 10° torsion (which varied between 0.15 Nm for 5° and 0.36 Nm for 10° torsion). The crossed wire fixation provided the most stability during the three-point bending tests. Against torsion, both the crossed and parallel wire fixation were superior to the single-wire fixations. The 3D printed model is found to be a reliable, cost-effective tool that can be used to characterize the different fixation methods, and it can be used in further pre-clinical investigations. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop