In silico studies of magnesium-based implants: A review of the current stage and challenges

Abstract

In silico methods to study biodegradable implants have recently received increasing attention due to their potential in reducing experimental time and cost. An important application case for in silico methods are magnesium (Mg)-based biodegradable implants, as they represent a powerful alternative to traditional materials used for temporary orthopaedic applications. Controlling Mg alloy degradation is critical to designing an implant that supports the bone healing process. To simulate different aspects of this biodegradation process, several mathematical models have been proposed with the ultimate aim of replacing laboratory experiments with computational modeling. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and critical discussion of the published models and their performance with respect to capturing the complexity of the biodegradation process. This complexity is presented initially. Additionally, the present review discusses the different approaches of optimizing and quantifying the different sources of errors and uncertainties within the proposed models.