# 3D-printed hip prostheses with regenerative integration: a state-of-the-art comprehensive review

**Authors:** Sebastián Giraldo Gallego, Luis Eduardo Rodríguez Cheu

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1719810 · Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · 2026-02-20

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the latest developments in 3D-printed hip prostheses, focusing on how regenerative medicine can improve implant integration and patient outcomes.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel 'regenerative design' paradigm that combines patient-specific imaging and biological calibration for enhanced healing.

## Key findings

- Current THA approaches face challenges due to outdated surgical workflows and complex clinical standards.
- Additive manufacturing techniques can control porosity and stiffness to improve implant performance.
- A new regenerative design framework is proposed to enhance biological integration and vascularized healing.

## Abstract

This article offers an in-depth review of the design and modeling of 3D-printed hip prostheses, emphasizing the integration of regenerative medicine, especially in the context of custom Rapidly Destructive Osteoarthritis implants. It traces the history of Total hip arthroplasty and current implant materials, along with recent advances in tissue engineering strategies and biofunctionalization methods to enhance biological integration. Computational processes are examined, including segmentation, image processing, computer-aided design, finite element analysis, and CAE simulations. It also discusses techniques in additive manufacturing that control porosity and stiffness, as well as strategies for recruiting host stem cells. The overall performance of existing THA approaches, combined with reliance on outdated surgical workflows and the complexity of clinical standards, creates challenges for the adoption of innovative implant research and limits broader application. International standards (ISO/ASTM), regional regulations (MDR, FDA), ethical considerations, and professional design guidelines are crucial components of this review, guiding safety, reproducibility, and the clinical impact of next-generation THA solutions. Finally, this review proposes a novel ‘regenerative design’ paradigm. Distinct from traditional biointegration methods, this framework integrates patient-specific imaging, mechanobiology-based architecture optimization, and biologically calibrated simulation to direct endogenous cell recruitment and vascularized healing explicitly.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CXCR4 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 7852] {aka CD184, D2S201E, FB22, HM89, HSY3RR, LCR1}, UCN3 (urocortin 3) [NCBI Gene 114131] {aka SCP, SPC, UCNIII}, BMP2 (bone morphogenetic protein 2) [NCBI Gene 650] {aka BDA2, BMP2A, SSFSC, SSFSC1}, VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) [NCBI Gene 7422] {aka L-VEGF, MVCD1, VEGF, VPF}
- **Diseases:** hip osteoarthritis (MESH:D015207), aseptic loosening (MESH:D011475), stiffness (MESH:C566112), synovitis (MESH:D013585), infection (MESH:D007239), effusion (MESH:D000080324), subchondral fractures (MESH:D001845), toxicity (MESH:D064420), osteolysis (MESH:D010014), bone (MESH:D001847), joint pain (MESH:D018771), vascular damage (MESH:D057772), CAD (MESH:C000719218), oncologic (MESH:D000072716), DICOM (MESH:C564543), femoral defect (MESH:D005266), cyst (MESH:D003560), JSN (MESH:D016893), inflammation (MESH:D007249), dysplasia (MESH:D015792), fractures (MESH:D050723), pain (MESH:D010146), tumor (MESH:D009369), ischemic (MESH:D002545), neuropathic, osteonecrosis (MESH:D010020), cystic defects (MESH:D018297), fatigue failure (MESH:D051437), blood loss (MESH:D016063), edemas (MESH:D004487), destruction of the femoral head (MESH:D000070603), heterotopic ossification (MESH:D009999), lesion (MESH:D009059), bone resorption (MESH:D001862), THA (MESH:D025981), fatigue (MESH:D005221), HIP (OMIM:142700), OA (MESH:D010003), wear (MESH:D057085), inflammatory dysregulation (MESH:D021081), joint cartilage degeneration (MESH:D002357), periprosthetic infection (MESH:D057068), -mass loss (MESH:C536030), osteolytic (MESH:D030981)
- **Chemicals:** UHMWPE (MESH:C111601), aluminum (MESH:D000535), Co-Cr (-), RGD (MESH:C047981), Cobalt-Chrome (MESH:D002858), Cr (MESH:D002857), Ti (MESH:D014025), hydroxyapatite (MESH:D017886), Ti-6Al-4V (MESH:C031462), Co (MESH:D003035), Zirconia (MESH:C028541), Hydrogen (MESH:D006859), metal (MESH:D008670), Stainless Steel (MESH:D013193), Oxygen (MESH:D010100), fiber (MESH:D004043), Nitrogen (MESH:D009584), Vit-E (MESH:D014810), polyethylenes (MESH:D011095), Ta (MESH:D013635), polymer (MESH:D011108), PEEK (MESH:C063834), EtO (MESH:D005027), carbon (MESH:D002244), Alumina (MESH:D000537), vanadium (MESH:D014639), calcium phosphate (MESH:C020243), polyethylene (MESH:D020959)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Ovis aries (domestic sheep, species) [taxon 9940]

## Full text

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## Figures

5 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12963236/full.md

## References

198 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12963236/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12963236