Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation

Leață, Gabriela; Earar, Kamel; Munteanu, Corneliu; Lupu, Fabian Cezar; Vlad, Maria Daniela; Istrate, Bogdan; Cimpoesu, Ramona; Pașca, Aurelian-Sorin; Șindilar, Eusebiu Viorel

doi:10.3390/bioengineering12090939

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Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation

by

Gabriela Leață

¹,

Kamel Earar

¹,

Corneliu Munteanu

^2,3

,

Fabian Cezar Lupu

^2,*

,

Maria Daniela Vlad

^4,5,*

,

Bogdan Istrate

²

,

Ramona Cimpoesu

⁶

,

Aurelian-Sorin Pașca

⁷

and

Eusebiu Viorel Șindilar

⁷

¹

Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Dunarea de Jos” University, 800008 Galati, Romania

²

Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Robotics Department, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania

³

Technical Academy of Sciences Romania, 010413 Bucharest, Romania

⁴

Faculty of Medical Bioengineering, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Iaşi, 700115 Iasi, Romania

⁵

TRANSCEND Research Centre, Regional Institute of Oncology, 700483 Iasi, Romania

⁶

Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, The “Gh. Asachi” Technical University from Iaşi, 700050 Iaşi, Romania

⁷

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi University of Life Sciences ”Ion Ionescu de la Brad”, 700490 Iasi, Romania

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Bioengineering 2025, 12(9), 939; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12090939 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 29 July 2025 / Revised: 22 August 2025 / Accepted: 27 August 2025 / Published: 30 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering Biodegradable-Implant Materials, 2nd Edition)

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Abstract

The research of biomaterials is an area of significant interest in the biomedical field, and the present study investigates how the strontium (Sr) concentration influences the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and both in vitro and in vivo behavior of alloys in the ternary Mg-Ca-Sr system. Using an induction furnace with a controlled atmosphere (argon as the shielding gas), Mg-0.5Ca-xSr alloys (x = 0.5; 1; 1.5; 2; 3 at.%) were synthesized. Microstructural analyses, performed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealed a uniform and refined structure. Corrosion behavior assessments, carried out using linear and cyclic potentiometry, demonstrated favorable corrosion resistance for all samples. However, for the system containing 0.5% Sr, the corrosion rate values were lower compared to the other systems, and this alloy also exhibited the lowest corrosion current density. Cytocompatibility assay indicated the cytocompatible behavior of all the studied alloys, with favorable influence on cell viability and a stimulatory effect on the osteoblastic cell proliferation. In vivo biocompatibility assessments of the alloys showed that, for alloys containing 0.5% and 1% Sr, a more rapid degradation occurred in comparison with the other alloys (1.5, 2 and 3% Sr), which still persisted at the tissue level even after 12 weeks post-implantation. In all the batches examined, the inflammatory reaction was directly proportional and persistent in relation to the presence of the material in the tissue. In regions where the material was resorbed/degraded, the local inflammatory response was reduced or absent, and the fibrous tissue was denser and better organized. The field of biomaterials is in continuous development, and this study highlighted the applicability of these five alloy systems for dental and maxillofacial applications such as implants, plates, and related devices.

Keywords: biomaterials; magnesium alloy; microstructural analysis; corrosion analysis; in vivo tests; in vitro tests

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MDPI and ACS Style

Leață, G.; Earar, K.; Munteanu, C.; Lupu, F.C.; Vlad, M.D.; Istrate, B.; Cimpoesu, R.; Pașca, A.-S.; Șindilar, E.V. Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation. Bioengineering 2025, 12, 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12090939

AMA Style

Leață G, Earar K, Munteanu C, Lupu FC, Vlad MD, Istrate B, Cimpoesu R, Pașca A-S, Șindilar EV. Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation. Bioengineering. 2025; 12(9):939. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12090939

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leață, Gabriela, Kamel Earar, Corneliu Munteanu, Fabian Cezar Lupu, Maria Daniela Vlad, Bogdan Istrate, Ramona Cimpoesu, Aurelian-Sorin Pașca, and Eusebiu Viorel Șindilar. 2025. "Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation" Bioengineering 12, no. 9: 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12090939

APA Style

Leață, G., Earar, K., Munteanu, C., Lupu, F. C., Vlad, M. D., Istrate, B., Cimpoesu, R., Pașca, A.-S., & Șindilar, E. V. (2025). Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation. Bioengineering, 12(9), 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12090939

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Mg-Ca-Sr Biodegradable Alloys for Medical Applications: Production, Biomaterials’ Properties Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Evaluation

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