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This review article examines the use of renewable, bio-based polymers in biomedical applications, focusing on bioadhesive systems, biodegradable polymers, and additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing. It discusses the benefits, limitations, and recent advances of these materials for applications such as wound closure, tissue sealing, implant fixation, and drug delivery. The review highlights the potential of these polymers to advance biomedical engineering while promoting sustainable material practices.
Renewable polymer-based bioadhesives and 3D printing show promise for next-generation biomedical engineering by offering sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil-resource-dependent polymers.
The traditional polymer industry, which depends heavily on fossil resources, faces increasing challenges due to resource depletion, environmental damage, and sustainability issues linked to petroleum-based materials. In response, the development, synthesis, and regeneration of ecofriendly, renewable bio-based polymers have gained significant attention from both science and industry as promising alternatives. In addition to reducing the negative environmental impact of conventional plastics, biodegradable and renewable polymers now play a crucial role in enabling advanced biomedical functions, particularly at biological interfaces. Recent advances have highlighted bioadhesive systems as a crucial subset of renewable polymers, enabling effective interactions between materials and biological tissues under physiologically relevant conditions. These bioadhesive materials, made from natural synthetic bio-based, or hybrid polymer platforms, are increasingly used in biomedical applications such as wound closure, tissue sealing, implant fixation, drug delivery, and biofabrication. At the same time, integrating biodegradable polymers and bioadhesive formulations into three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies improves process efficiency, material accuracy, and design flexibility while reducing waste and environmental impact. This review critically examines emerging renewable polymer platforms, with a focus on bioadhesive systems, biodegradable polymers, and additive manufacturing techniques. The discussion includes the benefits, limitations, recent advances, and future outlook of these materials within the context of sustainable biomedical interfaces and 3D-printed structures. By offering an integrated view, this work underscores the transformative potential of renewable polymer-based bioadhesives and 3D printing in advancing next-generation biomedical engineering while promoting circular and sustainable material practices. This manuscript provides a comprehensive narrative review of emerging renewable polymers for biomedical interfaces, bioadhesives, and 3D printing.
