BACKGROUND: In the treatment of bone defect or bone injury by tissue engineering, biomaterials affect the survival rate, proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress regarding how biomaterials affect the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and to guide the rational application of biomaterials. METHODS: A computer-based online search of CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang database with the search terms "Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, Osteogenic differentiation, Biological materials, The microstructure". The eligible literatures regarding the effects of different biomaterials on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Metallic materials have the advantages of good biocompatibility, bone conductivity, and mechanical performance. Non-metallic materials exhibit good biocompatibility, bone conductivity, reabsorption, and three-dimensional shaping.(2) There are many factors that affect the surface microstructure of the biomaterial. As for the same biomaterial, greater surface energy/wettability leads to better proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; greater roughness better promotes the proliferation, adhesion, and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; larger pore diameter and lower pore diameter rate are more prone to promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; greater substrate rigidity and elastic modulus better facilitate the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The abovementioned factors of the biomaterials affect the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These findings help promote the application of biomaterials seeded with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]