nanoMAG LLC, Livonia, Mich., developed a high strength bioabsorbable magnesium alloy, BioMg 250, whcih is now available in wire form for biomedical orthopaedic procedures. Building on the wire-making skills of Fort Wayne Metals, Ind., wire is available at 1.1 mm and 0.3 mm diameter. Yield strength varies between 300 and 370 MPa. The wire’s ductility is demonstrated by the tight knot tied in the 0.3 mm wire (pictured). Potential applications in orthopaedics using wire include K wire, suture wire and cables, tension band wiring, mesh for stents, and fiber-mesh for reinforcing hydroxyapatite bone-filling cements.
nanoMAG often partners with biomedical implant makers to design and develop metallic implants to be bioabsorbable, according to Steve LeBeau, president. These implants are developed using proprietary alloys of magnesium and other compatible elements which provide the appropriate strength and bone support while healing occurs, after which the implant dissolves and is absorbed by the body. The alloy content of BioMg 250 is aluminum- and rare earth element-free. It is microalloyed with elements that are nutrients in the body and which foster new bone growth.
At the same time, these microalloying elements are balanced to provide high strength for bone fixing along with optimum bioabsorption rate to obviate any need for secondary removal operations. Suggested applications include screws, staples, tacks, wire, rods, plates, and 3D shapes for ligament fixations, craniofacial implants, and small bone implants. “These new magnesium parts could radically change how orthopaedic implants are made and used,” said LeBeau.
nanoMAG is seeking potential partners interested in collaborating on new product development projects. The materials are being tested as part of an ongoing internal program to obtain FDA regulatory approval for the use of bioabsorbable magnesium alloy implants in orthopaedic applications.
This technology development was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Contract No. 0847198 (Project Manager, Prakash Balan).
