Really, if you care beyond "blow the fuse if something shorts", you need active current limiting. For common cases like USB ports, you can buy chips that do it cheaply and efficiently. There are also some textbook circuits, though they each have their pros and cons. No matter what, if you've got a pass transistor or switching transistor that's about to go seriously overcurrent, you have to do something about it with active parts -- fuses aren't going to get it done.

But defense in depth is always a good strategy, and fuses play a key role there. The active circuitry saves the rest of the design; if it can't get the job done, the fuse makes sure nothing burns.