Three-dimensional printing: The potential technology widely used in medical fields.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is one of the hottest research fields nowadays, which has influenced the treatment methods in the medical industry. In order to explore the progress of 3D printing technology in medical applications, the authors conducted English retrieval with the keywords "three-dimensionalprinting," "bioprinting," and "3D printing" in PubMed, and extracted information related to this exploration. This review firstly introduces the 3D printing materials, types of technology, and printing procedures in medical fields, then elaborates the current applications of 3D printing in medical devices, in vitro anatomical models, organ printing, implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, and the leap from 3D medical printing to four-dimensional (4D) medical printing, finally put forward the shortage of the medical 3D/4D printing and possible solutions of them.