Fabrication of biodegradable HA/Mg-Zn-Ca composites and the impact of heterogeneous microstructure on mechanical properties, in vitro degradation and cytocompatibility

Advances in Barrier Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration Techniques

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a widely used technique for alveolar bone augmentation. Among all the principal elements, barrier membrane is recognized as the key to the success of GBR. Ideal barrier membrane should have satisfactory biological and mechanical properties. According to their composition, barrier membranes can be divided into polymer membranes and non-polymer membranes. Polymer barrier membranes have become a research hotspot not only because they can control the physical and chemical characteristics of the membranes by regulating the synthesis conditions but also because their prices are relatively low. Still now the bone augment effect of barrier membrane used in clinical practice is more dependent on the body’s own growth potential and the osteogenic effect is difficult to predict. Therefore, scholars have carried out many researches to explore new barrier membranes in order to improve the success rate of bone enhancement. The aim of this study is to collect and compare recent studies on optimizing barrier membranes. The characteristics and research progress of different types of barrier membranes were also discussed in detail.

Synergistic effects of hybrid (HA+Ag) particles and friction stir processing in the design of a high-strength magnesium matrix bio-nano composite with an appropriate texture for biomedical applications

In this work, the effects of hybrid (HA + Ag) particles and triple-pass friction stir processing on the microstructure, texture, hardness, and tensile behavior of magnesium matrix bio-nano composite were investigated. The results showed that the mean grain size of samples was in the range of 1-5 μm owing to the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization and suppression of grain growth by second phase particles. All samples exhibited uniform dispersion of particles in the magnesium matrix caused by triple-pass FSP. However, some agglomerations were visible in the microstructure of AZ91/nHA nanocomposite. The average grain size of the AZ91/nHA/smAg sample (1.4 μm) was smaller than that of the AZ91/nHA/mAg sample (2.1 μm), which was attributed to the formation of higher content of Mg_xAg_y precipitates in the AZ91/nHA/smAg composite. By performing the FSP, the content of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ was significantly decreased due to the dissolution of beta into the alpha caused by the breakup effect of mechanical stirring and temperature increase of samples. The AZ91/nHA/smAg sample had the highest texture parameter for the {101‾1} orientation as the high corrosion resistance texture. This was due to the promoting the non-basal slip caused by the dissolution of smAg particles in the magnesium matrix. After the FSP, the microhardness distribution of AZ91, AZ91/nHA, AZ91/nHA/mAg, and AZ91/nHA/smAg samples tended to be uniform and the average hardness was improved owing to the fragmentation of beta particles, grain refinement, and homogeneous dispersion of second phase particles. Compared with the AZ91/nHA/mAg sample, an increase in ultimate tensile strength (291.7 MPa), and a decrease in total elongation (5.6%) and energy absorption (12.3 J/cm³) were observed in the AZ91/nHA/smAg sample due to the formation of a higher content of the silver-rich precipitates in the AZ91/nHA/smAg sample during cooling caused by the higher solubility of silver submicron particles. The fracture surfaces of all processed samples consisted of a large number of fine equiaxed dimples (ductile fracture) owing to the grain refinement and the presence of fine second phase particles.

Investigation of microstructure, crystallographic texture, and mechanical behavior of magnesium-based nanocomposite fabricated via multi-pass FSP for biomedical applications

In this work, the microstructure, crystallographic texture, hardness, and tensile behavior of AZ91/HA bio-nano composite manufactured by multi-pass friction stir processing (FSP) were investigated. With increasing the number of FSP passes, the average size of grains is reduced. The processed AZ91 and AZ91/HA nanocomposite after the third pass had the lowest grain size (4.5 and 2.6 μm, respectively). Also, the average grain size of composites was smaller than that of monolithic samples at the same pass number. The results showed that particle distribution in the AZ91/HA nanocomposite is significantly affected by the number of passes. The increment of the pass number led to a more uniform dispersion of HA nanoparticles in the matrix due to more plastic flow of materials. With increasing the pass number to three, the accumulated strain increased to 0.726 (monolithic) and 0.623 (composite) due to repeating mechanical stirring. There was a texture transition ({101‾1} to {0002}) via performing only one pass of FSP. Suppression of grain rotation by HA nanoparticles maintained the intensity of {101‾1} texture as a corrosion-resistant orientation after the third pass. With increasing the pass number of FSP, the hardness and strength of samples increased due to the grain size reduction and the more uniform dispersion of HA powder. The composite sample after the third pass exhibited the highest hardness of 117.0 HV and ultimate tensile strength of 306.6 MPa. The failure mode of processed samples was ductile. There were smaller dimples on the fracture surface of the composite samples due to their lower grain size and also the presence of HA nanoparticles. Considering the obtained results, the nanocomposite after the third pass can be a good load-bearing implant for biomedical applications.

In vitro and in vivo studies on the degradation and biosafety of Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy hemostatic clip with the carotid artery of SD rat model

An Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy operative clip was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the Ti clips such as ion dissolution inflammation, interference imaging diagnosis, and the potential harm that permanent retention brings to the patient. The structure optimization design of the hemostatic clip was carried out by the finite element numerical simulation method to realize the matching between the structure design and the material properties. Hot extrusion and wire cutting process was used to prepare the Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy operative clip. Corrosion degradation behavior of Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy in vitro was investigated using electrochemical noise (EN) and immersion test in Simulated body fluid (SBF). The carotid artery of SD rats was clipped using the Mg-Zn-Ca-Y operative clip to evaluate occlusion safety and the complete corrosion degradation behavior and biocompatibility of Mg-Zn-Ca-Y alloy clip in vivo were investigated using micro-computed tomography, histological analysis, and blood biochemical indicators. It was found that the newly designed Mg-Zn-Ca-Y clip can successfully ligate the carotid artery, and no blood leakage occurred after surgery. After eight months, the Mg-Zn-Ca-Y clip degraded utterly. Histological analysis and various blood biochemical parameters in SD rat serum samples collected at different time periods showed no tissue inflammation around the clips.