Magnesium sponges as a bioabsorbable material attributes and challenges

The aim of the present article is to make a contribution to establishing magnesium as a temporary reabsorbing implant material. With regard to its mechanical properties, magnesium shows very similar behaviour to that of bone; nevertheless no clinical applications for load bearing implants in osteosynthesis exist. Magnesium sponges with an open porous structure exhibit, apart from a mechanical similarity, a geometrical similarity to bone and therefore possess great potential for use as an osteosynthetic material. The structural and mechanical properties of magnesium sponges will be presented as well as possibilities for adjusting the mechanical properties.