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In Vivo Performance and Structural Relaxation of Biodegradable Bone Implants Made from MgZnCa Bulk Metallic Glasses
Author(s) -
Wessels Victor,
Le Mené Gwénaël,
Fischerauer Stefan F.,
Kraus Tanja,
Weinberg AnnelieMartina,
Uggowitzer Peter J.,
Löffler Jörg F.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
advanced engineering materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1527-2648
pISSN - 1438-1656
DOI - 10.1002/adem.201180200
Subject(s) - materials science , relaxation (psychology) , in vivo , amorphous metal , embrittlement , implant , metal , biomedical engineering , hydrogen embrittlement , metallurgy , composite material , corrosion , surgery , medicine , psychology , social psychology , microbiology and biotechnology , alloy , biology
A study of Mg‐based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) as biodegradable bone implants is presented. The implantation site can affect performance, so the BMGs were evaluated in vivo in rat femurs using µ‐CT scans at various times for more than 90 days. Estimates of H 2 evolution correlate well with previous in vitro studies and bone–implant contact is similar to that for Ti pins. One potential drawback of Mg‐based BMGs in this application is embrittlement due to structural relaxation. Here, relaxation at 20 and 37 °C is examined, and an increase in the characteristic relaxation time, from 10 to 30 days at 20 °C, is observed as Zn increases from 29 to 32 at.%, correlating with dramatically reduced hydrogen evolution.