Material Processing and Design of Biodegradable Metal Matrix Composites for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

In recent years, biodegradable metallic materials have played an important role in biomedical applications. However, as typical for the metal materials, their structure, general properties, preparation technology and biocompatibility are hard to change. Furthermore, biodegradable metals are susceptible to excessive degradation and subsequent disruption of their mechanical integrity; this phenomenon limits the utility of these biomaterials. Therefore, the use of degradable metals, as the base material to prepare metal matrix composite materials, it is an excellent alternative to solve the problems above described. Biodegradable metals can thus be successfully combined with other materials to form biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical applications and functions. The present article describes the processing methods currently available to design biodegradable metal matrix composites for biomedical applications and provides an overview of the current existing biodegradable metal systems. At the end, the manuscript presents and discusses the challenges and future research directions for development of biodegradable metallic matrix composites for biomedical purposes.

Innovative Human Three-Dimensional Tissue-Engineered Models as an Alternative to Animal Testing

“…Porous metallic materials have a wide-spaced rigid structure with low density and high mechanical strength, closely resembling the bone in vivo. Their shape and permeability are ideal for cell infiltration of the scaffold with good diffusion of nutrients, oxygen, and metabolic waste [ 120 , 122 ]. Their porosity is highly tunable, affecting the stiffness and strength of the scaffold, the diffusion capacity, and the extent of the migration of the cells, playing with the density of the tissue generated [ 123 , 124 ].…”

“…Their porosity is highly tunable, affecting the stiffness and strength of the scaffold, the diffusion capacity, and the extent of the migration of the cells, playing with the density of the tissue generated [ 123 , 124 ]. Biodegradable porous metallic scaffolds can be made by selective laser melting [ 125 ], powder metallurgy [ 126 ], injection of inert gas into a melt [ 127 ], sintering of particles [ 128 ], vacuum foaming [ 129 ], investment casting [ 130 ], thixocasting [ 131 ], and other methods [ 122 ].…”

Recent Developments in Magnesium Metal–Matrix Composites for Biomedical Applications: A Review

“…Microwave sintering is an advanced sintering method in which microwave irradiation is used to sinter the green compact in a short time period. It was reported that microwave sintering provides more uniform heating, low power consumption, and fast heating without any thermal gradient. − Wan et al successfully prepared Mg/BG composites using this microwave sintering. The short densification time limits the reaction between Mg and BG particles in comparison to conventional sintering.…”

Early osteoimmunomodulatory effects of magnesium–calcium–zinc alloys

“…25 Over the past few years, biomedical scientists and engineers have developed biodegradable metallic materials to improve the regenerative capability of biomaterials and stimulate the desirable immune system responses leading to the biomaterial's success. 23,[26][27][28] Such materials are developed to adjust their function in the body based on the biochemical and biomechanical properties of bone tissue. 29 A biodegradable biomaterial acts as a support for the surrounding cells/tissue to grow in, and therefore guides the healing processes toward new bone formation.…”