The 3D printing of biometals using commercial technologies like powder bed fusion, direct metal laser sintering, direct energy deposition, selective laser melting, etc. has been widely reported in the past decade for clinical and biomedical applications. However, these biometals have serious problems related to stress shielding when being used for implant or prosthetic applications. This special issue has been planned to address stress-shielding-related issues through innovative, novel implant/ prosthetic designs/meta-structures covering orthopedic and dental applications. This special issue invites experimental, analysis, and review articles focussing on solutions related to metal 3D printing of biometals with tunable stress shielding capabilities. Along with the design/ topographic optimization use of novel, hybrid materials is of interest in this special issue (covering both human and veterinary applications). The multi-material 3D printing covering more than one metallic alloy for reducing the stress shielding, digital twinning of developed 3D printed implants is also of interest in this special issue.

Keywords: Metal 3D printing, digital twinning, meta-structures, multi-material, stress shielding, dental applications, orthopedic implants, prosthesis