Bone defects and fractures have emerged as a significant global health issue, primarily due to factors such as an aging population, osteoporosis, tumors, trauma, and orthopedic diseases. Consequently, more than four million surgical procedures utilizing bone grafts and replacement materials are performed annually, making bone the second most commonly transplanted tissue worldwide [1]. The global orthopedic implants market represents a vital and expanding sector within the medical industry, currently valued at approximately USD 48 billion in 2023, and expected to grow to USD 78 billion by 2033 [2]. The use of artificial bone implants is significant, as they mitigate the risk of disease transmission associated with autologous and allograft bone transplants, positioning them as a vital solution for the repair of damaged bones [1].

Metals such as stainless steel, cobalt–chromium (Co-Cr) alloys, and titanium-based alloys are vital materials used in strong and reliable medical implants. Titanium alloys, particularly Ti-6Al-4V, are the preferred choice for bone replacement because of their excellent biocompatibility and outstanding corrosion resistance [3].

This paper will present the biomedical potential of materials produced using SLM technology with different porosities and pore shapes. The results will show the relationship between the structure of the material and the observations from indirect and direct cytotoxicity tests, as well as direct proliferation for mouse pre-osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1).

[1] Xu C., Qi. J., Zhang L., Liu Q., Ren L. (2023), Additive Manufacturing, 78, 103884.

[2] Orthopedic Implants Market Size, https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/orthopedic-implants-market

[3] Schöbel L., Ayerbe M.G., Polley C., Arruebarrena G., Seitz H., Boccaccini A.R. (2025) ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 11, 4057−4061.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the project “New Generation of Bioactive Laser Textured Ti/Hap Implants” under the acronym “BiLaTex” carried out within M-ERA.NET 3 Call 2022 programme in the National Centre for Research and Development (registration no.: ERA.NET3/2022/48/BiLaTex/2023).