Magnesium Bone Implants Show Promise But Face Hydrogen Gas Challenges
- Authors
- Meysam Nasr Azadani, Abolfazl Zahedi, Oluwole Kingsley Bowoto, Bankole Ibrahim Oladapo
- Journal
- Progress in Biomaterials
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1007/s40204-022-00182-x
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Health Condition
- Bone Fractures
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Scientists think magnesium could be a game-changer for bone implants because it naturally breaks down in your body and works well with bones, but the problem is it breaks down too fast and can cause issues—so researchers are working on ways to slow it down and make it stronger using special coatings and new manufacturing techniques.
Summary
Scientists conducted a comprehensive review of magnesium-based bone implants, examining their potential as biodegradable alternatives to traditional metal implants. While magnesium alloys offer excellent biocompatibility and naturally dissolve in the body, promoting bone growth, they face significant challenges. Rapid corrosion leads to premature weakening and problematic hydrogen gas accumulation at the implant site. The review explored solutions including surface coatings, alloying treatments, and advanced laser-based manufacturing techniques. These approaches show promise for controlling corrosion rates and improving mechanical properties, potentially making magnesium implants viable for widespread orthopedic applications in the future.
Abstract (excerpt)
Medical application materials must meet multiple requirements, and the designed implant must mimic the bone structure in shape and support the formation of bone tissue (osteogenesis). Magnesium (Mg) alloys, as a 'smart' biodegradable material and as 'the green engineering material…