Biodegradable Magnesium‐Based Implants in Orthopedics—A General Review and Perspectives

Abstract

Biodegradable Mg‐based metals may be promising orthopedic implants for treating challenging bone diseases, attributed to their desirable mechanical and osteopromotive properties. This Review summarizes the current status and future research trends for Mg‐based orthopedic implants. First, the properties between Mg‐based implants and traditional orthopedic implants are compared on the following aspects: in vitro and in vivo degradation mechanisms of Mg‐based implants, peri‐implant bone responses, the fate of the degradation products, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of Mg ions on osteogenesis. Then, the preclinical studies conducted at the low weight bearing sites of animals are introduced. The innovative strategies (for example, via designing Mg‐containing hybrid systems) are discussed to address the limitations of Mg‐based metals prior to their clinical applications at weight‐bearing sites. Finally, the available clinical studies are summarized and the challenges and perspectives of Mg‐based orthopedic implants are discussed. Taken together, the progress made on the development of Mg‐based implants in basic, translational, and clinical research has laid down a foundation for developing a new era in the treatment of challenging and prevalent bone diseases.

Overview of methods for enhancing bone regeneration in distraction osteogenesis: Potential roles of biometals

“…The advantages of Mg in bone regeneration have been indicated in several prior studies [ [106] , [107] , [108] , [109] , [110] , [111] , [112] ] ( Table 4 ). Mg has attracted great attention for bone repair because of its suitable mechanical strength [ 113 ], the capacity of promoting osteogenesis [ 100 ], angiogenesis [ 114 ], degradability [ 115 ], and antimicrobial potential [ 116 ]. The anti-microbial property is especially useful for DO implications that are associated with infection [ 116 , 117 ].…”

Recent Developments of Biomaterials for Additive Manufacturing of Bone Scaffolds

“…[49] Magnesium (Mg) is commonly recognized as a degradable metal with appreciable biocompatibility, Young's modulus close to that of natural cortical bone, and the ability to release Mg ion to facilitate bone regeneration. [64] However, the high reactivity of Mg toward atmospheric oxygen as well as its poor anticorrosion properties [65] make it risky to directly print implants from pure Mg powder; Mg alloys are supposed as another alternative for the structural implant. Recent studies showed that alloying Mg could reduce its degradation rate.…”

A Novel Approach to Enhance Bone Regeneration by Controlling the Polarity of GaN/AlGaN Heterostructures

“…Owing to the aging and increasing life expectancy of the global population, bone regeneration represents a critical challenge in the clinical treatment of various bone diseases. [1,2] Biomaterials are considered a powerful tool to potentially guide rapid potential source of endogenous electrical stimulation to enhance bone regeneration. [18] Among these systems, piezoelectric materials (mainly piezoelectric polymers such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), [19] poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE), [20] and PVDF-TrFE/barium titanate composites [21] ) exhibited significantly higher bone formation.…”