Biodegradable bone implants

Broken bones may be fixed with metallic glass in the future following the development of a new bio-absorbable alloy.

The material, developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, is made of a magnesium-zinc-calcium alloy in the form of a metallic glass. The research team believes the alloy could herald a new generation of biodegradable bone implants.

Some bone breakages require surgeons to insert screws and metal plates to fix the bones in place. These supports are usually made of stainless steel or titanium. Once the bones have healed, the metal parts have to be removed from the body through another surgical procedure.

In order to reduce the burden on patients, the ETH Zurich researchers produced implants from bio-absorbable metals. The team believes these implants will stabilise the bones only for as long as they need to heal. The metal will dissolve in the body over time, rendering removal surgery unnecessary.

The research team decided to create an alloy based around magnesium because the chemical element is mechanically stable and degrades completely by releasing ions.