Biological Evaluation of Anodized Biodegradable Magnesium-Calcium Alloys

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of studied binary magnesium-calcium (Mg-Ca) alloys for biodegradable intraosseous implants. Mg is necessary for health and is a non-toxic biodegradable material that decomposes naturally in the body. Nevertheless, Mg has been implicated in problems including diminished physical properties and corrosion resistance when degradation is too rapid prior to bone healing. This study has explored the effect of Ca on the corrosion resistance and biological evaluation after anodizing treatment with different contents of Ca alloy. Binary Mg-0.5Ca, Mg-1Ca and Mg-5Ca alloys were prepared by the casting method under an argon atmosphere and cut into disc-shaped pieces. Pure Mg alloy was used as the control. Anodic oxidation was performed for 15 minutes at a voltage of 120 V using an electrolyte solution containing Ca gluconate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and sodium hydroxide at room temperature. Corrosion resistance was analyzed using a corrosion tester. After a hydrogen evolution test, the surface pattern and phase changes were observed on a scanning electron microscop (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscop (EDS). Microscopic evaluation of the adhesion and cell biological functions of Mg was conducted by observing the response of human fetal osteoblastic 1.19 cells with regard to changes in surface film properties, depending on the amount of Ca. Our results support the view that in Mg-xCa alloys (x=0.5, 1, 5 wt.%) treated using anodic oxidation, the increasing Ca content controls the rate of decomposition and improves corrosion resistance.