AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025260250
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Development of a 3D-printed patient-specific titanium implant with local drug release capability for mandibular reconstruction: Taguchi optimization, in vivo porcine evaluation, and in vitro human functional assessment

Chiao-Min Chang1 Shao-Fu Huang2 Hsuan-Wen Wang3 Lu-Yi Yu4 Tzu-Huan Huang5 Chun-Liang Lo6 Chun-Li Lin7*
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1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
4 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
5 Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
6 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
7 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
Received: 27 June 2025 | Accepted: 21 July 2025 | Published online: 21 July 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

A patient-specific 3D-printed titanium mandibular implant was developed with an integrated refillable drug storage tank to enable localized cisplatin release. The tank surface geometry and hydrogel formulation were optimized using the Taguchi method and incorporated into anatomically matched implants. In vivo evaluation in six porcine mandibular defect models demonstrated systemic safety over 12 weeks, with plasma platinum levels reduced by more than 60% compared to systemic administration. Hematological and biochemical indicators—including white blood cell count, liver enzymes, and renal function markers—remained within normal ranges throughout the observation period, confirming physiological stability and biocompatibility. No significant complications or implant loosening were observed. Functional validation was further performed on three representative human mandibular large defect models. Finite element analysis revealed implant stresses well below the yield strength of Ti6Al4V (<40%), and four-point bending fatigue tests confirmed structural endurance beyond 1 million loading cycles. This study provides the first functional and biocompatible patient-specific mandibular implant with integrated, refillable drug release, offering a clinically translatable strategy for simultaneous reconstruction and localized chemotherapy in head and neck oncology.

 

Keywords
3D printing
Patient-specific
Drug release
Taguchi
Functional test
Funding
This study is supported in part by NSTC project 113-2327-B-A49 -001, Taiwan.
Conflict of interest
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing