Advances and Challenges of Biodegradable Implant Materials with a Focus on Magnesium-Alloys and Bacterial Infections
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Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomedical Materials Science, Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
2
Department of MSYS, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
3
Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Metals 2018, 8(7), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/met8070532
Received: 12 June 2018
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Revised: 2 July 2018
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Accepted: 4 July 2018
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Published: 10 July 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Metals)
Medical implants made of biodegradable materials could be advantageous for temporary applications, such as mechanical support during bone-healing or as vascular stents to keep blood vessels open. After completion of the healing process, the implant would disappear, avoiding long-term side effects or the need for surgical removal. Various corrodible metal alloys based on magnesium, iron or zinc have been proposed as sturdier and potentially less inflammatory alternatives to degradable organic polymers, in particular for load-bearing applications. Despite the recent introduction of magnesium-based screws, the remaining hurdles to routine clinical applications are still challenging. These include limitations such as mechanical material characteristics or unsuitable corrosion characteristics. In this article, the salient features and clinical prospects of currently-investigated biodegradable implant materials are summarized, with a main focus on magnesium alloys. A mechanism of action for the stimulation of bone growth due to the exertion of mechanical force by magnesium corrosion products is discussed. To explain divergent in vitro and in vivo effects of magnesium, a novel model for bacterial biofilm infections is proposed which predicts crucial consequences for antibacterial implant strategies.
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Keywords:
bioresorbable implants; corrosion layer; vascular stents; orthopedic implants; microbial infections
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MDPI and ACS Style
Rahim, M.I.; Ullah, S.; Mueller, P.P. Advances and Challenges of Biodegradable Implant Materials with a Focus on Magnesium-Alloys and Bacterial Infections. Metals 2018, 8, 532. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8070532
AMA Style
Rahim MI, Ullah S, Mueller PP. Advances and Challenges of Biodegradable Implant Materials with a Focus on Magnesium-Alloys and Bacterial Infections. Metals. 2018; 8(7):532. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8070532
Chicago/Turabian StyleRahim, Muhammad I., Sami Ullah, and Peter P. Mueller. 2018. "Advances and Challenges of Biodegradable Implant Materials with a Focus on Magnesium-Alloys and Bacterial Infections" Metals 8, no. 7: 532. https://doi.org/10.3390/met8070532
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