Page 322 - IJB-9-5

International Journal of Bioprinting

REVIEW ARTICLE
Smart implants: 4D-printed shape-morphing

scaffolds for medical implantation

Guiwen Qu , Jinjian Huang , Guosheng Gu , Zongan Li , Xiuwen Wu ,
1*
2*
1†
1†
1
Jianan Ren 1*
1 Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University,
Nanjing 210009, China
2 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Equipment and Manufacturing, NARI School of Electrical
and Automation Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210042, China

Abstract

Biomedical implants have recently shown excellent application potential in tissue
repair and replacement. Applying three-dimensional (3D) printing to implant
scaffold fabrication can help to address individual needs more precisely. Four-
dimensional (4D) printing emerges rapidly based on the development of shape-
responsive materials and design methods, which makes the production of dynamic
functional implants possible. Smart implants can be pre-designed to respond to
† These authors contributed equally
to this work. endogenous or exogenous stimuli and perform seamless integration with regular/
irregular tissue defects, defect-luminal organs, or curved structures via programmed
*Corresponding authors:
Zongan Li shape morphing. At the same time, they offer great advantages in minimally invasive
(zongan_li@njnu.edu.cn) surgery due to the small-to-large volume transition. In addition, 4D-printed cellular
Xiuwen Wu scaffolds can generate extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic structures that interact
(wuxiuwen@nju.edu.cn) with the contacting cells, expanding the possible sources of tissue/organ grafts
Jianan Ren and substitutes. This review summarizes the typical technologies and materials
(jiananr@nju.edu.cn) of 4D-printed scaffolds, and the programming designs and applications of these
Citation: Qu G, Huang J, Gu G, scaffolds are further highlighted. Finally, we propose the prospects and outlook of
et al., 2023, Smart implants: 4D-printed shape-morphing implants.
4D-printed shape-morphing
scaffolds for medical implantation.
Int J Bioprint, 9(5): 764.
https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.764 Keywords: 4D printing; Shape-morphing scaffolds; Medical implants; Tissue
engineering; Minimally invasive surgery
Received: February 17, 2023
Accepted: April 18, 2023
Published Online: May 30, 2023
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article 1. Introduction
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Nowadays, as the gap between growing demands for personalized medical care and
License, permitting distribution, shortage of available treatments widens, biomedical implants, which are able to repair
and reproduction in any medium, and replace tissues in regenerative medicine, start to show huge potential as a treatment.
provided the original work is
properly cited. They are utilized to renovate, support, replicate, or ameliorate the functions of native
tissues or organs . With the development of biomaterial researches, a variety of implants
[1]
Publisher’s Note: Whioce with therapeutic or regenerative functions are applied in human body to enhance the
Publishing remains neutral with
[2]
[3]
regard to jurisdictional claims in quality of patient lives, such as bone implants , vascular implants , and so forth. Their
published maps and institutional future demand is also expected to increase .
[4]
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 5 (2023) 314 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.764