Alloys of magnesium, zinc and calcium are suitable for deployment as bioresorbable implants to fix broken bones. (Photograph: ETH Zurich)
ETH researchers have recently been able to monitor the corrosion of bioresorbable magnesium alloys at the nanoscale over a time scale of a few seconds to many hours. This is an important step towards accurately predicting how fast implants are resorbed by the body to enable the development of tailored materials for temporary implant applications. Magnesium and its alloys are increasingly being deployed in bone surgery, in particular as osteosynthesis implants such as screws or plates, and as cardiovascular stents to expand narrowed coronary blood vessels. This light metal has the great advantage of being bioresorbable - in contrast to the behavior of conventional implant materials such as stainless steel, titanium or polymers. This renders a second surgery to remove an implant from the body unnecessary. Additionally attractive is the fact that magnesium promotes bone growth and therefore actively supports the healing of fractures. Pure magnesium as such, however, is too soft for deployment in surgical applications, and alloying elements must be added to strengthen it.
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