Preparation Strategies for Mg-Alloys for Biodegradable Orthopaedic Implants and Other Biomedical Applications: A Review

Biodegradable materials offer many advantages over the conventionally used non-biodegradable biomaterials. A number of biodegradable material-based (BMB) alloys have been developed for biomedical applications. Such alloys are increasingly used for manufacturing orthopaedic implants. The elimination of secondary surgery depends on the efficacy of the BMB implant which needs to fulfill two essential requirements. While such an implant has to be strong enough to provide adequate support to the damaged structure in skeleton, it should also be capable of maintaining just the right balance between rate of healing of the damaged structure and rate of degradation of the implant. The complexities involved in striking a balance between these two apparently conflicting requirements makes it imperative to optimize the design and preparation strategy of the BMB alloy. Many biodegradable metals, ceramics and polymers have been investigated for this application and the Magnesium (Mg)-based alloys have been found to be amongst the most suited ones. This review focuses on preparation techniques employed in development of Mg - alloys for biodegradable orthopaedic implants (fracture fixation implants). The process can essentially be split into: material optimization, processing techniques, and surface modifications.(C) 2020 AGBM. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Biodegradable materials offer significant advantages in biomedical applications, and biodegradable alloys based on these materials have been developed for orthopaedic implants. Striking a balance between providing adequate support and maintaining the right rate of healing and degradation is crucial for these implants. Magnesium-based alloys have shown promise, and this review focuses on their preparation techniques.