Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has received great attention in the past decades in both academia and industry because of its advantages such as customized fabrication, low manufacturing cost, unprecedented capability for complex geometry, and short fabrication period. 3D printing of metals with controllable structures represents a state-of-the-art technology that enables the development of metallic implants for biomedical applications. This review discusses currently existing 3D printing techniques and their applications in developing metallic medical implants and devices. Perspective about the current challenges and future directions for development of this technology is also presented.

三维（3D）打印技术在过去的几十年中在学术界和工业界都受到了广泛的关注，因为它具有诸如定制制造，较低的制造成本，前所未有的复杂几何形状能力以及较短的制造周期等优点。具有可控结构的金属的3D打印代表了最先进的技术，该技术能够开发用于生物医学应用的金属植入物。这篇评论讨论了当前现有的3D打印技术及其在开发金属医疗植入物和设备中的应用。还介绍了有关该技术当前挑战和未来发展方向的观点。