Transforming surgical planning and procedures through the synergistic use of additive manufacturing, advanced materials and artificial intelligence: challenges and opportunities.

Journal: Materials horizons
Published Date: Jun 30, 2025

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a powerful approach in healthcare to augment the functionalities of patient-specific medical products and surgical tools. One such area of the healthcare industry is surgical planning and procedures, where the benefits of AM can revolutionize the industry. AM technologies, commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, can change the conventional surgical methodology from the "open-detect-operate-close" mode to the "detect-open-operate-close" mode. However, the use of 3D printing in surgical planning has been hampered by the limited availability of literature reports thoroughly examining the advantages and drawbacks of this technology in clinical settings. Hence, this review explores the widespread use of additive manufacturing, multi-materials, metamaterials, 4D printing, and artificial intelligence in surgical planning for complex surgical procedures of the spine and in orthopedics, dentistry, cardiology, gynecology, and neurology. This review focuses on meticulously adjusting the lattice structure of metamaterials during 3D printing to achieve specific mechanical properties. It further delves into 4D printing to achieve dynamic capabilities in 3D printed models for better integration with the host tissue. Furthermore, it highlights the key aspects of combining AM with artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) models in healthcare to automate 3D model production and thereby reduce human intervention. This comprehensive review offers bioengineers, clinical scientists, and clinicians a platform to explore AM and its potential for addressing pre- and post-surgical operation challenges, providing valuable insights for biomedical engineering and healthcare advancements.

Authors

  • Shivi Tripathi
    Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482005, India. himansu@iiitdmj.ac.in.
  • Aftab Alam Ansari
    Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482005, India. himansu@iiitdmj.ac.in.
  • Manisha Singh
    Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India.
  • Madhusmita Dash
    Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT, Jote, Arunachal Pradesh, 791113, India.
  • Prasoon Kumar
    Iota Design & Innovations Lab Private Limited, 111, FTBI, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India. kumarprasoon@nitrkl.ac.in.
  • Harpreet Singh
    Division of Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.
  • Biranchi Panda
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India.
  • Syam Nukavarapu
    Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, University of Connecticut, 260 Glenbrook Road, Unit 3247, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
  • Gulden Camci-Unal
    Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854-2827, USA.
  • Bingbing Li
    Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital and Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
  • Prashant Kumar Jain
    Fused Filament Fabrication Lab, PDPM-Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482005, India.
  • Rengaswamy Jayaganthan
    Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India.
  • Hassan Mehboob
    Department of Engineering and Management, College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 12435, Saudi Arabia.
  • Harri Junaedi
    Department of Engineering and Management, College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 12435, Saudi Arabia.
  • Himansu Sekhar Nanda
    Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482005, India. himansu@iiitdmj.ac.in.
  • Guoping Chen
    Department of Otolaryngology, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China.
  • Subhas C Kundu
    3Bs Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradability and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Ave Park, Barco 4805-694, Guimaraes, Portugal.

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