Magnesium alloys have been proposed as prospective degradable implant materials. To elucidate the complex interactions between the corroding implants and the tissue, magnesium implants were analyzed in a mouse model and the response was compared to that induced by Ti and by the resorbable polymer polyglactin, respectively. One month after implantation, distinct traces of corrosion were apparent but the magnesium implants were still intact, whereas resorbable polymeric wound suture implants were already fragmented. Analysis of magnesium implants 2weeks after implantation by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that magnesium, oxygen, calcium and phosphate were present at the implant surface. One month after implantation, the element composition of the outermost layer of the implant was indicative of tissue without detectable levels of magnesium, indicating a protective barrier function of this organic layer. In agreement with this notion, gene expression patterns in the surrounding tissue were highly similar for all implant materials investigated. However, high-resolution imaging using energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy revealed magnesium-containing microparticles in the tissue in the proximity of the implant. The release of such corrosion particles may contribute to the accumulation of calcium phosphate in the nearby tissue and to bone conductive activities of magnesium implants.

Magnesium alloys are presently under investigation as promising biodegradable implant materials with osteoconductive properties. To study the molecular mechanisms involved, the potential contribution of soluble magnesium corrosion products to the stimulation of osteoblastic cell differentiation was examined. However, no evidence for the stimulation of osteoblast differentiation could be obtained when cultured mesenchymal precursor cells were differentiated in the presence of metallic magnesium or in cell culture medium containing elevated magnesium ion levels. Similarly, in soft tissue no bone induction by metallic magnesium or by the corrosion product magnesium hydroxide could be observed in a mouse model. Motivated by the comparatively rapid accumulation solid corrosion products physicochemical processes were examined as an alternative mechanism to explain the stimulation of bone growth by magnesium-based implants. During exposure to physiological solutions a structured corrosion coat formed on magnesium whereby the elements calcium and phosphate were enriched in the outermost layer which could play a role in the established biocompatible behavior of magnesium implants. When magnesium pins were inserted into avital bones, corrosion lead to increases in the pull out force, suggesting that the expanding corrosion layer was interlocking with the surrounding bone. Since mechanical stress is a wellestablished inducer of bone growth, volume increases caused by the rapid accumulation of corrosion products and the resulting force development could be a key mechanism and provide an explanation for the observed stimulatory effects of magnesium-based implants in hard tissue.

Magnesium is currently under investigation as a prospective biodegradable implant material. Biodegradation of magnesium causes a release of magnesium, hydroxide ions and hydrogen gas but it can also lead to the formation of particulate debris. Implant-derived particles may have immunotoxic effects. To investigate the influence of magnesium-derived particles on the immune functions of primary macrophages, up to 500 μg/ml magnesium or magnesium corrosion particles were added to the cell culture medium. No major effects were observed on cell viability and on the release of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α. In addition, the ability of macrophages to stimulate proliferation of allogenic lymphocytes in a mixed leukocyte reaction remained unaffected. When macrophages were incubated with magnesium particles and then infected with the apathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis, infection-induced TNFα secretion from murine macrophages was inhibited but not from human macrophages. However, the bactericidal activity of either cell type was not influenced. In conclusion, magnesium-related particles did not restrict the immune function of macrophages, suggesting that magnesium implants and corrosion particles derived thereof are highly biocompatible and have a low inflammatory potential.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40204-014-0032-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Magnesium alloys have promising mechanical and biological properties for the development of degradable implants. However, rapid implant corrosion and gas accumulations in tissue impede clinical applications. With time, the implant degradation rate is reduced by a highly biocompatible, phosphate-containing corrosion layer. To circumvent initial side effects after implantation it was attempted to develop a simple in vitro procedure to generate a similarly protective phosphate corrosion layer. To this end magnesium samples were pre-incubated in phosphate solutions. The resulting coating was well adherent during routine handling procedures. It completely suppressed the initial burst of corrosion and it reduced the average in vitro magnesium degradation rate over 56 days almost two-fold. In a small animal model phosphate coatings on magnesium implants were highly biocompatible and abrogated the appearance of gas cavities in the tissue. After implantation, the phosphate coating was replaced by a layer with an elemental composition that was highly similar to the corrosion layer that had formed on plain magnesium implants. The data demonstrate that a simple pre-treatment could improve clinically relevant properties of magnesium-based implants. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1622-1635, 2017.

No abstract