Dynamic behaviors of a Ca-P coated AZ31B magnesium alloy during in vitro and in vivo degradations

Surface modification can be an effective way to control the biodegradation behavior of magnesium alloys and even improve their biological properties. Much attention has been paid to the initial protection ability and biological properties of magnesium alloys coating. In this work, the dynamic behaviors of a Ca-P coated AZ31B magnesium alloy during the degradations in vitro and in vivo, including hemolysis, mechanical loading capability and implantation in animals, were investigated. The hemolytic rates of the alloy with and without coating were all declined to be lower than 5% after more than 20 days immersion in PBS, though an increase happened to the alloy at the early immersion of 3-7 days. Reduction of the mechanical loading capacity was gradually evolved for the coated alloy and the peak load retention of 85% was still maintained after 120 days degradation. The in vivo implantation indicated that the Ca-P coated AZ31B alloy showed a more suitable time dependent degradation behavior which was favorable for growth of the new tissue and the healing dynamics of bones, making it a promising choice for medical application.