Abstract Bone implants have transformed orthopedic field by contributing an effective approach to bone repair and replacement. In this review, recent development of designing and manufacturing technologies, materials, bone implant structural architectures, and drug delivery systems are addressed. Additive manufacturing, especially 3D printing, is essential for making customizable bone implants with intricate geometry. Success of bone implant depends on selection of materials. Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) is widely used due to their excellent corrosion resistance, biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Furthermore, bioactive ceramics like hydroxyapatite are frequently used to improve the osteoconductivity of implants. The development of porous structures-based bone implants is essential to supporting vascularization and ingrowth of new bone. These revolutionary designs provide variable pore sizes and distributions, enhancing bone growth, mechanical stability, and implant performance, advancing bone regeneration. Delivering therapeutic drugs locally and sustainably from bone implants is a major development. Methods like covering implants with polymers laden with drugs or embedding drug reservoirs in the structure of the implant are being investigated. The development of bone implants is being propelled by the combination of cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, optimized porosity architectures, and efficient drug delivery systems which opened up new innovative pathway for regenerative medicine and improving patient outcomes.
Kumar et al. (2026) studied this question.