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SummaryLarge bone defects are serious complications that are most commonly caused by extensive trauma, tumour, infection, or congenital musculoskeletal disorders. If nonunion occurs, implantation for repairing bone defects with biomaterials developed as a defect filler, which can promote bone regeneration, is essential. In order to evaluate biomaterials to be developed as bone substitutes for bone defect repair, it is essential to establish clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo testing models for investigating their biocompatibility, mechanical properties, degradation, and interactional with culture medium or host tissues. The results of the in vitro experiment contribute significantly to the evaluation of direct cell response to the substitute biomaterial, and the in vivo tests constitute a step midway between in vitro tests and human clinical trials. Therefore, it is essential to develop or adopt a suitable in vivo bone defect animal model for testing bone substitutes for defect repair. This review aimed at introducing and discussing the most available and commonly used bone defect animal models for testing specific substitute biomaterials. Additionally, we reviewed surgical protocols for establishing relevant preclinical bone defect models with various animal species and the evaluation methodologies of the bone regeneration process after the implantation of bone substitute biomaterials. This review provides an important reference for preclinical studies in translational orthopaedics.

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As a bioabsorbable metal with mechanical properties close to bone, pure magnesium or its alloys have great potential to be developed as medical implants for clinical applications. However, great efforts should be made to avoid its fast degradation in vivo for orthopedic applications when used for fracture fixation. Therefore, how to decease degradation rate of pure magnesium or its alloys is one of the focuses in Research and Development (R&D) of medical implants. It has been recognized that surface modification is an effective method to prevent its initial degradation in vivo to maintain its desired mechanical strength. This article reviews the recent progress in surface modifications for prevention of fast degradation of magnesium or its alloys using in vitro testing model, a fast yet relevant model before moving towards time-consuming and expensive in vivo testing. Pros and cons of various surface modifications are also discussed for the goal to design available products to be applied in clinical trials.

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This review summarizes the current research status on biodegradable metals as bone implants, including their biodegradability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility.

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