Journal of Bionic Engineering (2022) 19:737–751 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-022-00152-w

Current Status and Outlook of Porous Zn-based Scafolds for Bone Applications: A Review 

Abdul Hakim Md Yusop1  · Mokhamad Fakhrul Ulum2  · Ahmed Al Sakkaf3  · Hadi Nur1,4 

1 Center for Sustainable Nanomaterials, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientifc and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bharu, Malaysia
2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
3 School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bharu, Malaysia
4 Center of Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy (CAMRY), Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Abstract  Over the past 5 years, many works have been performed to reveal the potentials of Zinc (Zn)-based materials as temporary bone scafolds with the expectation that their emergence could address some of the main concerns associated with magnesium- and iron-based materials. Thanks to the emerging Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology, it facilitates the optimization of the design and production of topological porous Zn-based materials suited for bone scafolds. Since the studies on the porous Zn-based scafolds are on the rise, we provide the most current progress in the development of porous Zn-based scafolds for bone applications. The impacts of recently developed topological design from the AM as well as the advanced dynamic-fow corrosion on their corrosion, mechanical properties, and in vitro biocompatibility are also presented. Plus, we identify a number of research gaps and the challenges encountered in adopting porous Zn-based scafolds for orthopedic applications and suggest some promising areas for future research. 

Keywords  Porous Zn · Corrosion · Mechanical properties · In vitro biocompatibility · Additive manufacturing

a Schematic diagram showing the mechanism of precipitation of CaP on the porous Zn scaffolds in SBF, b XRD pattern of the corrosion products covering on the porous Zn-1Al scaffold after immersion in SBF for 28 days, c SEM images of corrosion products on porous Zn-Al alloys scaffolds in SBF and d Higher magnification of the boxed area of corrosion products in c. (Reproduced with permission from Ref. [30, 32], Elsevier)