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Review
. 2022 Dec 20;14(1):1.
doi: 10.3390/jfb14010001.

Recent Developments in Zn-Based Biodegradable Materials for Biomedical Applications

Muzamil Hussain  1 , Sami Ullah  2 , Muhammad Rafi Raza  1 , Naseem Abbas  3 , Ahsan Ali  4
Affiliations
Review

Recent Developments in Zn-Based Biodegradable Materials for Biomedical Applications

Muzamil Hussain et al. J Funct Biomater. .

Abstract

Zn-based biodegradable alloys or composites have the potential to be developed to next-generation orthopedic implants as alternatives to conventional implants to avoid revision surgeries and to reduce biocompatibility issues. This review summarizes the current research status on Zn-based biodegradable materials. The biological function of Zn, design criteria for orthopedic implants, and corrosion behavior of biodegradable materials are briefly discussed. The performance of many novel zinc-based biodegradable materials is evaluated in terms of biodegradation, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties. Zn-based materials perform a significant role in bone metabolism and the growth of new cells and show medium degradation without the release of excessive hydrogen. The addition of alloying elements such as Mg, Zr, Mn, Ca, and Li into pure Zn enhances the mechanical properties of Zn alloys. Grain refinement by the application of post-processing techniques is effective for the development of many suitable Zn-based biodegradable materials.

Keywords: Zn alloys; biocompatibility; biodegradability; biodegradable materials.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Biological functions and roles of Zn in the human body (a) Biological functions of Zn (b) Effect of Zn excess and deficiency in the human body [21].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Microstructures of Zn–0.8Mg–0.2Ca alloys (a) Microstructure of as-cast (cast and annealed) alloy; (b) a detailed SEM view with corresponding X-ray elemental maps of Mg and Ca; (c) SEM image of extruded material at 300 °C and an extrusion ratio of 11:1; (d) SEM image of extruded material at 300 °C and an extrusion ratio of 25:1. Reprinted with modification and permission from [75].
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) The relationship between elongation and grain size for biodegradable Zn alloy, and the grain size distribution of (b) Grain sizes of Zn alloys and (c) Grain sizes of ZnMn phase. Reprinted with modification and permission from [76].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Variation in toughness with grain size distribution for (a) Zn and (b) Zn–Mg alloys. Reprinted with modification and permission from [80].
Figure 5
Figure 5
SEM images of Zn alloys after the immersion tests; (a) 500 µm resolution Zn image; (b) 10 µm resolution Zn image; (c) 500 µm resolution Zn–5Al–4Mg alloy image; (d) 10 µm resolution Zn–5Al–4Mg alloy image. Reprinted with changes and permission from [83].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Immersion test results of Zn alloys: (a) polarization curves and (b) bode impedance modulus curves. Reprinted with changes and permission from [58].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Degradation behavior: (a) cross-sectional area reduction and (b) penetration rate. Reprinted with modification and permission from [84].
Figure 8
Figure 8
(a) Cell viability of binary Zn-based alloys using MC3T3-E1 cells; (b) Mechanical properties of ternary Zn alloys. * p value < 0.05 by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test. Reprinted with changes and permission from [85].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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