IIT Madras Researchers Build Magnesium Alloys For Healing Bones Better, Faster

Today, when bones suffer severe damage and require surgical intervention, doctors use materials like titanium, hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate among others. However, these aren’t biodegradable and they’re in the body of the individual, forever.

Representational Image: Getty Images

However, now a group of researchers from IIT Madras have developed a nano-coated magnesium alloy that can repair bones with ease without leaving a trace. Their recent creation worked amazingly in bone defects in rabbits and now they’re planning to further study the application of its nano-coated magnesium alloy for mending bones in animals and humans.

Magnesium as a metal is biocompatible and biodegradable. Moreover, t’s the fourth abundant metal in our body which actually aids in healing bones.

Researchers made use of AZ31 alloy of magnesium to create a mesh cage implant. They further coated this with polycaprolactone and nano-hydroxyapatite by dipping and electrospinning. This nano-coated magnesium mesh was then used to heal the bone defect in the femur of rabbits.

Representational Image: Shutterstock

They saw that the rabbit femur implanted with the coated magnesium alloy showed bone formation while also forming a bridge over the affected region. Researchers claim it is thanks to the biocompatible nature of polycaprolactone and nano-hydroxyapatite which helped in making a positive recovery while not causing complications like fibrosis.?

Professor Mukesh Doble, from the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras in a conversation with Vigyan Prasar, explains, “Titanium mesh cage is placed in the gap which helps to heal and stabilize the bone. But it does not degrade and so remains in the body permanently. It also leads to stress shielding since it has mechanical strength much larger than the bone.”

Prof. Mukesh Doble from IIT-Madras and Dr. Boopalan Ramasamy Christian Medical College, Vellore, Credit: Vigyan Prasar

He added, “Magnesium is now being looked at as an option as it can degrade slowly and reabsorbed. Its mechanical properties are also closer to that of the bone. The main problem with magnesium is that it degrades fast. To slow it down and match to the growth of the new bone, we have coated (electrospinning) it with a slowly-degrading polymer called ‘polycaprolactone’ mixed with ‘hydroxyapatite.’ The latter is the same as the bone material and hence, does not cause any toxicity and integrates with the bone.”