Answers to some scientific and engineering challenges once languished because efficient and timely cross disciplinary cooperation was not technically feasible; there was too much "friction" in the communication process. Biologists, for example, knew nothing about materials science and materials scientists, nothing about biology. Nicholas Kirkland, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Nagasaki University, and colleagues, including a small team of biologists and engineers, have been finding novel ways to use magnesium to create completely biodegradable orthopedic materials. In the book Magnesium Biomaterials: Design, Testing, and Best Practices, Kirkland and co-author Nick Birbilis, Director of the Materials Engineering department at Monash University, discuss the types of in vitro experiments that can be performed and investigate the important variables that determine the performance of magnesium as a biomaterial. Breakthroughs are now allowing Kirkland to use bio-compatible magnesium implants in orthopedic applications.

1. indust ryt ap.co m
http://www.industrytap.co m/bro ken-bo ne-bio degradeable-magnesium-implants-replace-steel-titanium-suppo rt/17943
Broken Bone? Biodegradeable Magnesium Implants Could
Replace Steel and Titanium Support
Answers to some scientif ic and engineering challenges once languished because ef f icient and timely cross
disciplinary cooperation was not technically f easible; there was too much “f riction” in the communication
process. Biologists, f or example, knew nothing about materials science and materials scientists, nothing about
biology. T his led to misunderstandings and questionable, if not incompetent, uses of many materials and
experimental techniques. Now, due to enhanced levels of communication via the Internet, this is beginning to
change.

2. Most have heard of the use of steel and titanium in the body to provide support f or broken bones. While these
materials are generally considered inert and do not negatively af f ect the body, they are also permanent and
of ten require secondary surgeries f or removal or replacement.
Young Scientist
Making Progress with
Magnesium
Nicholas Kirkland, Assistant
Prof essor of Biomedical
Engineering at Nagasaki
University, and colleagues,
including a small team of
biologists and engineers,
have been f inding novel ways
to use magnesium to create
completely biodegradable
orthopedic materials. In the
book Magnesium Biomaterials:
Design, Testing, and Best
Practices, Kirkland and coauthor Nick Birbilis, Director
of the Materials Engineering
Nic ko las Travis Kirkland (Imag e Co urte s y www.nkirkland .c o m)
department at Monash
University, discuss the types
of in vitro experiments that can be perf ormed and investigate the important variables that determine the
perf ormance of magnesium as a biomaterial.
Kirkland and Birbilis have revised and perf ormed new electrochemical and animal tests with magnesium, which
previously had a checkered history. Common misconceptions of magnesium date back to World War II, when
plane components built f rom it f ell apart. For the past century, magnesium used by materials scientists was
of ten impure, which led to rapid corrosion and undesired reactions with living cells. T his coupled with the
release of hydrogen gas made the use of magnesium in biochemical applications untenable.

3. According to
Kirkland,
today’s
magnesium
is much
purer. As a
result, the
team has
designed and
tested over
160 alloys
that include
calcium and
zinc, as well
as more
exotic
elements
such as rare
earth.
Magnesium
alloys
typically have
better
Po lyme r te mp late (Imag e Co urte s y www.nkirkland .c o m)
mechanical
properties
and corrosion resistance than pure magnesium by itself . A typical mix is 98% magnesium and 2% calcium.
Magnesium alloys have the f urther advantage of actively promoting cell growth and have even displayed anticancer characteristics. Breakthroughs are now allowing Kirkland to use bio-compatible magnesium implants in
orthopedic applications.
Unf ortunately, it is not possible to use 3D printers with magnesium due to its high reactivity. T he team has
developed a new method of f orming magnesium implants through a novel sodium chloride (salt) based casting
technique. T his new method allows the creation of structures of any shape with exceptional accuracy, is
completely biocompatible, and enables prototyping and casting to be done in just half a day. T his technique
also enables implants to be designed on an individual patient basis, rather than the more common “one size
f its all” method, which is hugely benef icial in many implant situations.

4. Finally,
through
controlled
“alloying”,
specif ic
rates of
Valle ys o f Bio mate rial (Imag e Co urte s y www.nkirkland .c o m)
“biodegradation” can be obtained providing the f lexibility to meet the many varied healing times required f or
dif f erent implants in the body. T his can range f rom as little as a week to over a year. Once biodegradation
occurs, all the substances exit the body through normal biological processes, leaving no trace of their
existence af ter their purpose is served.
Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) to Help Speed Up Discoveries
Last summer IndustryTap wrote about the “Materials Genome Initiative” (MGI) and how a centralized database
of inf ormation on materials will greatly reduce research time and costs in developing new materials and
products. In lockstep with this development is a huge wave of materials science innovation that is radically
changing the way things are designed and made.
For more on Nicholas Kirkland, visit his website where you’ll f ind links to publications, presentations and
projects.
David Schilling
David lives in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, and regularly visits MIT, Harvard,
Boston University, Northeastern, Boston’s leading companies and labs, the stacks at Boston
Atheneaum and Boston Public Library to uncover and research story ideas. You can also f ind
David on Google+.