Designing Better Bone Scaffolds with 3D Printing

When it comes to growing new bones, scientists are exploring how to design the best scaffolds for the job. These scaffolds need to be good at helping new bone grow and strong enough to hold up. Researchers have looked at different types of materials, like metals, non-metals, and polymers, to make these scaffolds. They've also considered different ways to make these scaffolds, like 3D printing. One important thing to think about is how the scaffold is structured. Should it have tiny holes or big ones? And how much space should there be between these holes? Different materials might need different answers to these questions. Another thing to think about is how to make the surface of the scaffold more friendly to new bone growth. Scientists have come up with some clever ways to do this. This review also talks about some new and exciting ways to print these scaffolds in 3D. And it introduces new combinations of materials that could make even better scaffolds. This isn't just about looking back at what's been done before. It's about looking forward to what could be done next.