Bone Fixation

In the recent past, Mg has been used for various biomedical applications in addition to their structural applications. As Mg is biodegradable and has a similar Young’s modulus to natural bone, it is an attractive option for biomedical implants (stents, plates, screws, various orthopedic implants, etc.). By using Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) to process Mg alloys, microstructural refinement can be optimized to provide these alloys with strength, ductility, and increased resistance to corrosion. The goal of this project is to investigate the use of ECAE processing of Mg alloys for biomedical applications, and assess the effect of processing on microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior. Once the ideal microstructure (one that provides an adequate combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance) is determined, biomedical implants, such as bone plates and screws can be machined, and further testing can be performed to assess their viability when placed inside the human body.

In the recent past, Mg has been used for various biomedical applications in addition to their structural applications. As Mg is biodegradable and has a similar Young’s modulus to natural bone, it is an attractive option for biomedical implants (stents, plates, screws, various orthopedic implants, etc.). By using Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) to process Mg alloys, microstructural refinement can be optimized to provide these alloys with strength, ductility, and increased resistance to corrosion. The goal of this project is to investigate the use of ECAE processing of Mg alloys for biomedical applications, and assess the effect of processing on microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior. Once the ideal microstructure (one that provides an adequate combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance) is determined, biomedical implants, such as bone plates and screws can be machined, and further testing can be performed to assess their viability when placed inside the human body.

The ideal design of biodegradable Mg-based orthopaedic implants with controlled degradation patterns to match the fracture healing. A) The description of the motion at the fracture gap with healing over time in the presence of the mechanical loading where the fracture motion at the fracture gap (upper part) decreases with healing overtime accompanied with fracture callus formation and remodeling (lower part). Adapted with permission. 98 Copyright 2014, SCITEPRESS. B) Ideal degradation pattern of the biodegradable fixators to support healing completion at the fracture site. Reproduced with permission.17 Copyright 2017, Elsevier.

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