Multiscale Bionic Construction of Artificial Bone: Strategies and Clinical Application Prospects

Abstract

The development of effective biomaterials for bone defect repair remains challenging due to limitations in mechanical properties, bioactivity, and degradation characteristics. We summarize recent progress in synthetic bone materials, including metals, ceramics, and polymer composites, critically analyzing their clinical strengths and weaknesses. This review presents the fabrication of a new generation of mineralized collagen materials through biomimetic mineralization, demonstrating that their composites exhibit promising clinical application potential. Inspired by the hierarchical architecture of natural bone, a multiscale cascade regulation strategy is further proposed to achieve multidimensional mimicry in composition, structure, mechanical properties, and biological functionality. Special attention is given to multidimensional biomimetic strategies integrating nano-scale molecular self-assembly, electrospinning, and macroscale pressure-driven fusion to construct artificial lamellar bone and artificial cortical bone. In summary, this article provides valuable insights into understanding artificial bone repair materials and their development trends, offering significant guidance for the development of new degradable biomimetic artificial compact bone materials.

Impact Statement

This paper reviews the clinical needs for bone repair materials and the limitations of current options, emphasizing the potential of biomimetic approaches inspired by natural cortical bone’s hierarchical structure. It introduces the mineralization process and mechanical properties of compact bone, evaluates biomimetic mineralized collagen fibers, and summarizes preparation methods. A multidimensional strategy is proposed for constructing high-strength, biodegradable, and biocompatible artificial compact bone, offering insights into future development and clinical application.