REVIEW article
Front. Med. Eng.
Sec. Medical Engineering Materials
"Mechanically Adaptive Hydrogels for Bone Tissue Engineering: From Classification and Biomechanics to Modeling and Translational Applications"
Provisionally accepted
- 1Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
- 2Technische Universitat Wien, Vienna, Austria
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Hydrogels are key materials in bone tissue engineering due to their high water content, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanics. Mechanically adaptive hydrogels, a class of smart biomaterials, can dynamically adjust stiffness and viscoelasticity in response to environmental cues, closely mimicking bone extracellular matrix behavior. This review critically synthesizes the hydrogel types, biomechanical properties, and scaffold fabrication strategies, with a focus on mechanically responsive systems. Finite element modeling (FEM) is highlighted as a predictive tool for scaffold design, while bone-on-chip (BoC) platforms provide physiologically relevant in vitro evaluation. Recent advances in composite hydrogels, reinforcement methods, and multi-scale modeling are analysed to identify gaps in standardization, mechanical mapping and biological outcomes . By linking mechanical adaptability to clinical scenarios such as craniofacial reconstruction, spinal fusion, and osteochondral repair, this review provides a concise framework for the rational design and translation and future research in mechanically adaptive hydrogels in bone regeneration.
Keywords: Hydrogels, bone tissue engineering, Mechanical adaptation, Finite Element Modeling, bone-on-chip, Smart biomaterials
Received: 11 Sep 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bancila. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ioana-Cristina Bancila, cristinabancila03@yandex.com
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