Synthesis and characterization of Mg-Ca-Sr alloys for biodegradable orthopedic implant applications

Magnesium has recently received an increased amount of interest due to its potential use in biodegradable implant applications. The rapid degradation of conventional Mg is, however, a major limitation that needs to be addressed in the design of these materials, along with consideration of toxicity in selection of alloying elements. In this study, five alloys in the Mg-xCa-ySr system (x = 0.5-7.0 wt %; y = 0.5-3.5 wt %) were prepared and characterized for their suitability as degradable orthopedic implant materials. The alloys were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, degradation measurements in Hanks' solution at 37°C, compression testing, and in vitro cytotoxicity testing with a mouse osteoblastic cell line. The results indicate that the Mg-1.0Ca-0.5Sr alloy is the most promising alloy for orthopedic implant applications since it showed the lowest degradation rate in Hanks' solution (0.01 mL cm^-2 h^-1) along with no significant toxicity to MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and a compressive strength of 274 ± 4 MPa.