Programmable materials: A comprehensive review on shape memory polymers for orthopedic applications.

Shape memory polymers (SMP) are smart, active polymers, which can significantly change their properties by external stimuli such as heat or temperature, pH, electric and magnetic fields. SMPs take advantage over traditional metal alloys due to their properties like degradability, biocompatibility, non-toxic, cost-effective, and low immunogenicity. They create suitable microenvironments for the tissue regeneration in the host cells. Hence, shape memory polymers are programmable promising materials in orthopedic applications in which implants must withstand large strength and flexibility. Shape memory and self-healing are the two fundamental properties of polymers considered in the design of scaffolds materials. Programmable biomaterials includes, biologically responsive, chemical and physical responsive polymers suitable for bone tissue engineering. This review deals with an overview about the generation of metal shape memory alloys/ceramics/shape memory polymers/self-fitting scaffold materials used in orthopaedic therapy. And also osteobiology, properties of SMPs, FDA approved/clinical usage of SMPs, use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based strategies for bone scaffolds, recent trends, and future prospectus were addressed.