As the orthopedic market shifts toward a focus on biocompatible and resorbable materials, magnesium is gaining momentum in trauma and sports medicine applications.
The use of magnesium is in response to the need for temporary — yet highly effective — implants. Hardware removal is one of the most common procedures performed worldwide and can be expensive, painful and present additional risks. On the other hand, leaving an orthopedic implant in the body can also pose potential risks for infection or other long-term failure.
A resorbable material removes those risks for indications where short-term fixation is needed, such as in fracture repair. However, current resorbable materials are typically made of polymers, which come with their own set of risks.
“If you look at the orthopedic space in total, generally we’re trying to do two things. We’re either removing a piece of diseased anatomy and replacing it, or we have anatomy that needs support to heal and to repair itself,” said Mark Hanes, Senior Technical Director at Genesis Innovation Group. “Current resorbables are typically polymers, which don’t have a good mechanical property profile for repairing bone. In some cases, you can use bio-ceramics, which again, don’t really have the right property profile to match bone.”
This article was originally published on BONEZONE. Click here to read the full article.