Recent advances in the development of Mg-Ca-Zn alloys as biodegradable orthopedic implants

Abstract

Development of biodegradable orthopedic implants has gathered significant attention around the globe as it eliminates the second implant removal surgery after bone healing. Mg based alloys are most sought-after materials for these applications however the imbalance between the rate of bone healing and rate of degradation of Mg alloys poses a main challenge for their clinical success. Mg-Ca-Zn alloys possess potential properties to be adopted as biodegradable orthopedic implants. This review presents an overview on the properties and performance of Mg-Ca-Zn alloys. First, Mg-Ca and then Mg-Ca-Zn system is discussed. The effects of manufacturing processes, alloying elements, heat treatments on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of these systems are presented. The effects of surface modification on the corrosion behavior of Mg-Ca-Zn alloys are also discussed in this review. The aim of this review is to coherently present the various scattered results on the development of Mg-Ca-Zn alloys for orthopedic implant applications.