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Review
. 2018 Mar 13:2018:9216314.
doi: 10.1155/2018/9216314. eCollection 2018.

Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys Developed as Bone Repair Materials: A Review

Chen Liu  1   2 , Zheng Ren  2 , Yongdong Xu  2 , Song Pang  2 , Xinbing Zhao  1 , Ying Zhao  3
Affiliations
Review

Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys Developed as Bone Repair Materials: A Review

Chen Liu et al. Scanning. .

Abstract

Bone repair materials are rapidly becoming a hot topic in the field of biomedical materials due to being an important means of repairing human bony deficiencies and replacing hard tissue. Magnesium (Mg) alloys are potentially biocompatible, osteoconductive, and biodegradable metallic materials that can be used in bone repair due to their in situ degradation in the body, mechanical properties similar to those of bones, and ability to positively stimulate the formation of new bones. However, rapid degradation of these materials in physiological environments may lead to gas cavities, hemolysis, and osteolysis and thus, hinder their clinical orthopedic applications. This paper reviews recent work on the use of Mg alloy implants in bone repair. Research to date on alloy design, surface modification, and biological performance of Mg alloys is comprehensively summarized. Future challenges for and developments in biomedical Mg alloys for use in bone repair are also discussed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Typical morphologies of second phases in (a) as-cast ZE41, (b) as-cast WE43, (c) as-forged WE43 [54], and (d) AZ91D alloys [55].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of MgO inclusions in Mg-Gd-Y-Zr: (a) Z-shaped, (b) spherical, (c) block, (d) rod-like, (e) needle-like, and (f) lamellar MgO [56].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Surface morphologies of ZK60 alloy coated by microarc oxidation at voltages of (a) 230 V, (b) 300 V, (c) 370 V, and (d) 450 V [29]. Some microcracks can be found on the 230 V coating, as marked by the black arrow in (a).
Figure 4
Figure 4
SEM images of sample surface morphology before (a) WE42, (b) WE42-MAO, and (c) WE42-MAO/PLLA and after (d) WE42, (e) WE42-MAO, and (f) WE42-MAO/PLLA were submerged in Hank's solution at 37°C (pH = 7.4) [57].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Surface morphology of M1A after soaking in A-SBF for 30 min: (a) original surface, (b) surface after cleaning, and (c) high-magnification view of surface after cleaning [58].
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM images of β-tricalcium phosphate-coated AZ31, naked AZ31, and Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod samples after implantation for 1, 4, and 12 weeks. Scale bar = 5 μm [59].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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