Cardiovascular Applications of Magnesium Alloys

Abstract

Therapy in cardiovascular medicine often relies on implantation of prosthetic materials or application of stents. The diseases of many cardiovascular structures require their complete and immediate repair by utilising prosthetic materials. The ideal cardiovascular prosthesis involves good functional properties, capability of regeneration and does not activate the host's immune system. Ideally, the graft can be applied for a temporary use and degrades after a predefined period according to controlled degradation kinetics. Only biological grafts would provide this spectrum of properties by today's level of knowledge. However, biological prostheses exhibit some relevant drawbacks as well, such as insufficient mechanical stability or restricted availability. Implants or supporting structures of magnesium alloys would bridge this gap and would either provide a substrate for innovative and temporary grafts or would-as supporting structures-transiently add some missing properties to regenerative biological prostheses. This chapter reviews the different fields of cardiovascular therapeutic applications of magnesium alloys. The required properties of magnesium alloys and their preparation, fabrication and testing will be discussed under the specific cardiovascular perspective.

Applications of Magnesium and Its Alloys: A Review

“…However, bare magnesium alloy stents are notorious for rapid corrosion or biodegradation, leading to devastating effects described in Section 4.3. Hence, as magnesium-based biodegradable coronary stent implantation is highly regarded as a potential therapeutic application to coronary heart disease, one of the leading causes of death globally [79][80][81], extensive ongoing investigations centered around strategies to control its degradation rate [82,83]. The strategies proposed are consistent with our earlier discussion in Section 4.3.…”

“…Presently, there are limited applications for magnesium and its alloys in cardiovascular medicine, as they are primarily experimental or preclinical [79]. Magnesium and its alloys are being investigated for their suitability to replace bio-inert metallic implants in typical cardiovascular therapeutic applications.…”

Applications of Magnesium and its Alloys: A Review

“…Presently, there are limited applications for magnesium alloys in cardiovascular medicine, as they are mostly experimental or preclinical [45]. Magnesium and its alloys are being investigated for its suitability to replace bio-inert metallic implants in typical cardiovascular therapeutic applications.…”

“…As magnesium-based biodegradable coronary stent implantation is a therapeutic application to coronary heart disease, one of the leading causes of death globally [45][46][47], it is extensively investigated today. Though it is a promising biomaterial, early in vivo trials have demonstrated mixed clinical outcomes [47].…”

Effect of PEO Surface Treatment on Biodegradable Magnesium Alloy ZK60

“…PEO is a process that creates a rough, hard, and dense ceramic coating on lightweight metal construction materials, such as magnesium. In addition, the PEO process provides increased resistance to wear and corrosion, thermal stability, dielectric properties, improved bioactivity, and biocompatibility suitable for medical applications [4]. The PEO process involves anodic electrochemical dissolution, the combination of metal ions with anions to form ceramic compounds, and spark-induced condensation on the substrate [5].…”