Development of new medical Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy and in-vitro and in-vivo evaluations of its biological characteristics

Abstract

Medical magnesium alloys show significant clinical potential as degradable orthopedic biomedical materials. In this study, a new medical magnesium alloy was fabricated and analyzed, with aim of providing a basis for the development of degradable magnesium alloys. Based on previous medical and metallurgical studies, a Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy with three different elemental ratios was designed, synthesized, and characterized. Their main composition was α-Mg, and they also contain other phase peaks, such as Mg24Y5. The differences in the contents of the alloy samples resulted in differences in their mechanical properties and biological properties. In general, alloy III exhibited the best properties. The hemolytic characteristics, cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of the alloy samples were determined through in-vitro experiments while their histocompatibility and osteogenic properties were evaluated through in-vivo tests. The in-vitro tests showed that alloys II and III did not exhibit obvious hemolysis and cytotoxicity while the in-vivo experiments showed that these alloys exhibited good histocompatibility and osteogenic properties, with alloy III showing better characteristics than those of alloy II. Thus, alloy III should be highly suitable for use as an orthopedic internal fixation material.