Research status of biodegradable metals designed for oral and maxillofacial applications: A review

Abstract

The oral and maxillofacial regions have complex anatomical structures and different tissue types, which have vital health and aesthetic functions. Biodegradable metals (BMs) is a promising bioactive materials to treat oral and maxillofacial diseases. This review summarizes the research status and future research directions of BMs for oral and maxillofacial applications. Mg-based BMs and Zn-based BMs for bone fracture fixation systems, and guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes, are discussed in detail. Zn-based BMs with a moderate degradation rate and superior mechanical properties for GBR membranes show great potential for clinical translation. Fe-based BMs have a relatively low degradation rate and insoluble degradation products, which greatly limit their application and clinical translation. Furthermore, we proposed potential future research directions for BMs in the oral and maxillofacial regions, including 3D printed BM bone scaffolds, surface modification for BMs GBR membranes, and BMs containing hydrogels for cartilage regeneration, soft tissue regeneration, and nerve regeneration. Taken together, the progress made in the development of BMs in oral and maxillofacial regions has laid a foundation for further clinical translation.

Clinical Evaluation of Magnesium Alloy Osteosynthesis in the Mandibular Head

“…Certainly, the fates of other chemical elements present in the alloy (e.g., Y, Nd, or Zr) are different from that of magnesium [45,46] in the skeleton. Given the multitude of known magnesium alloys, it is likely that the distant reactions as well as the detailed effects on the surrounding bone microenvironment will vary.…”

Design and aligner-assisted fast fabrication of a microfluidic platform for quasi-3D cell studies on an elastic polymer

“…Cells respond to various cues from the surrounding microenvironment, such as nanoscaled cues [ 51 , 52 ], surface topology [ 53 , 54 ], material scaffolding [ [55] , [56] , [57] ], biodegradation [ [58] , [59] , [60] ], and chemical cues [ 61 , 62 ]. And in many cases, mechanical cues should be taken into consideration [ [63] , [64] , [65] ].…”

Current status and outlook of biodegradable metals in neuroscience and their potential applications as cerebral vascular stent materials

“…Biodegradable medical devices are limited mostly to orthopedic/cardiovascular implants or surgical sutures. Representative Mg-based, Fe-based, and Zn-based BMs have been thoroughly reviewed with emphases on their physiochemical and corrosion properties, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibilities, as well as various techniques to manipulate the biodegradable behaviors [ [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] ]. These translational research on BM have shown their potential application in neuroscience.…”