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

Over the past 5 years, many works have been performed to reveal the potentials of Zinc (Zn)-based materials as temporary bone scaffolds 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 scaffolds. Since the studies on the porous Zn-based scaffolds are on the rise, we provide the most current progress in the development of porous Zn-based scaffolds for bone applications. The impacts of recently developed topological design from the AM as well as the advanced dynamic-flow 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 scaffolds for orthopedic applications and suggest some promising areas for future research.