---
title: "Researchers 3D print bones at the nano level"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/researchers-3d-print-bones-at-the-nano-level/
date: 2025-05-11
modified: 2025-05-11
lang: en
author: "Edward Wakefield"
description: "According to the University of Sydney, researchers have successfully developed a new printing technique that can mimic nanosized structures found in natural bone. The method makes it possible to mimic..."
categories:
  - "Biomaterials"
  - "Medical AM"
  - "Medical Research"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cq5dam.web_.2000.1368.2x-640x438.jpeg
word_count: 734
---

# Researchers 3D print bones at the nano level

[According to the University of Sydney](https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2025/04/04/3d-printing-bones-at-the-nano-level-achieved.html), researchers have successfully developed a new printing technique that can mimic nanosized structures found in natural bone. The method makes it possible to mimic bone anatomy in unprecedented detail, with researchers able to precisely control the grain size and how porous it can be during printing.

The development was co-led by Professor Hala Zreiqat, the Payne-Scott Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Sydney, and Associate Professor Iman Roohani, now at the University of Technology Sydney's School of Biomedical Engineering.

“The technology brings us a step closer to transforming [bone graft surgeries](https://www.voxelmatters.com/scientists-3d-print-coral-inspired-bone-graft-substitute/) in the future,” said Professor Zreiqat, who was recently appointed as a 2025 Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering for her work in musculoskeletal regeneration and successful technology commercialization.

The material used closely mimics the [mineral composition of natural bone](https://www.voxelmatters.com/researchers-advance-bone-tissue-engineering-with-3d-printing/), allowing human cells to recognise and interact with it effectively, to create synthetic bone with the same strength and biological properties of natural bone.

“This reduces the risk of long-term complications and future surgeries and offers a more natural restoration of bone defects,” said Professor Zreiqat, whose team specialises in creating bio-ceramic materials that aim to recreate the structure and properties of real bone. “While the technology is still evolving, it represents a significant step in reconstructive surgery."

In 2023, according to the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry, there were 58,529 hip replacement surgeries, 78,125 knee replacement surgeries, and 10,141 shoulder replacement surgeries. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics report showed that, in 2021-22, there were 53,500 knee replacements (210 per 100,000 population) and 35,500 hip replacements (140 per 100,000 population) to treat osteoarthritis.

![University of Sydney researchers 3D print bones at the nano level - enabling the precise control of grain size and porousity.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cq5dam.web_.2000.423.2x-scaled.jpeg)

The technology uses specialized inks from biocompatible materials, such as calcium phosphate, which closely resemble the mineral composition of natural bone. The team was able to print at 300 nanometres resolution, which they say is one thousand times stronger than existing techniques.

Although human bone looks deceptively simple on the surface, within the bone mineral is a complex architecture of micro- and nano-sized shapes and forms. This gives bones their strength, durability, and ability to support the weight of multiple layers of dense human muscle and tissue.

“Bone’s complex architecture is a masterpiece of nature,” said Professor Zreiqat, based at the School of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. “Our bioceramic scaffolds aim to mimic the structure and properties of real bone. Just looking like bone is not enough – it needed to have similar strength and integrity. We were able to do it at the macro and micro level, but achieving it at the nano level was the final piece of the puzzle."

Associate Professor Roohani and PhD candidate Shuning Wang cracked the code by using prenucleation clusters. Naturally found in the bone, these clusters play an important role in bone formation by guiding the mineralisation process that strengthens bone. By incorporating these clusters into a highly transparent and printable calcium phosphate resin, the researchers have been able to mimic the micro- and nano-scale features of natural bone.

The approach not only reflects a deep understanding of the bone’s biological processes but also showcases the potential of using materials inspired by biology to revolutionise medical treatments. The findings were [published in Advanced Materials](https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202413626). The 3D printing machine used to print bone substitutes is located at Research and Prototype Foundry, a Core Research Facility at the University of Sydney.

“This study demonstrates the potential to create bone-mimicking structures, paving the way for advanced bone grafts and implants,” said lead author Associate Professor Roohani, who completed the work at the University of Sydney as part of Professor Zreiqat’s team and now leads the Advanced Biomaterials and Fabrication laboratory at UTS. “This could revolutionise bioceramic implants, regenerative medicine and high-performance biomaterials."

Traditionally, metal implants [such as titanium plates and screws](https://www.voxelmatters.com/himed-study-shows-importance-of-post-processing-in-3d-printed-titanium-implants/) are used. Although they provide structural support, they do not participate in the healing process. There is also the risk of the body rejecting the foreign object or infection. The goal of bioceramic materials developed by Professor Zreiqat’s team is to provide support but also to gradually integrate with the body and encourage new bone formation.

One of the team members, Ms Shuning Wang, said the study is a major leap toward creating bone implants that truly mimic natural bone, down to the nanoscale. “Next, we’re advancing this technology by enhancing the scalability of our printed structures, accelerating their path to clinical application,” she said.