Development of magnesium-based alloys for biomedical applications

The goal of the project is to fabricate a novel magnesium-based alloy for orthopaedic purposes to function as a temporary fixation device (eg. Bone plates, screws or rods). Load-bearing bones (eg. Tibia, femur, humerus) require temporary support during fracture healing period to facilitate bone regeneration. Magnesium, due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability potentially eliminates the need for a second surgery for implant removal. However, the challenge is to control the degradation rate of the implant in the human body to ensure appropriate mechanical support to the fractured bone during the healing stage. Thus, this research project has two phases. In the first phase, novel magnesium-based alloys containing Calcium, Zinc and Manganese will be developed and their mechanical and microstructural properties will be studied at UBC-O. The second phase involves immersion tests of the new alloys in simulated bio-fluid to investigate their corrosion properties. This testing will be conducted in the specialized corrosion testing laboratory at IIT Kanpur, India.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lukas Bichler

Student:

Partner:

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: