A Review of the Development of Titanium-Based and Magnesium-Based Metallic Glasses in the Field of Biomedical Materials

• Published in: Materials Vol. 17; no. 18; p. 4587
• Main Authors: Cai, Zeyun, Du, Peng, Li, Kun, Chen, Lina, Xie, Guoqiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Allergies; Alloy systems; Alloying elements; Amorphous materials; Antibacterial materials; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Bones; Composite materials; Controllability; Corrosion rate; Corrosion resistance; Corrosion resistant alloys; Crystal defects; Cytotoxicity; Degradation; Ductility; Fractures; Grain boundaries; Human body; Load; Load bearing elements; Magnesium; magnesium-based; Mechanical properties; Medical equipment; Metal fatigue; Metallic glasses; Modulus of elasticity; Morphology; Plates; R&D; Research & development; Review; Stress shielding; Surgical implants; Titanium alloys; Titanium base alloys; titanium-based; Toxicity; Transplants & implants; Wear resistance; titanium-based; metallic glasses; biomedical materials; magnesium-based
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma17184587

This article reviews the research and development focus of metallic glasses in the field of biomedical applications. Metallic glasses exhibit a short-range ordered and long-range disordered glassy structure at the microscopic level, devoid of structural defects such as dislocations and grain boundaries. Therefore, they possess advantages such as high strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance, combining characteristics of both metals and glasses. This novel alloy system has found applications in the field of biomedical materials due to its excellent comprehensive performance. This review discusses the applications of Ti-based bulk metallic glasses in load-bearing implants such as bone plates and screws for long-term implantation. On the other hand, Mg-based metallic glasses, owing to their degradability, are primarily used in degradable bone nails, plates, and vascular stents. However, metallic glasses as biomaterials still face certain challenges. The Young's modulus value of Ti-based metallic glasses is higher than that of human bones, leading to stress-shielding effects. Meanwhile, Mg-based metallic glasses degrade too quickly, resulting in the premature loss of mechanical properties and the formation of numerous bubbles, which hinder tissue healing. To address these issues, we propose the following development directions: (1) Introducing porous structures into titanium-based metallic glasses is an important research direction for reducing Young's modulus; (2) To enhance the bioactivity of implant material surfaces, the surface modification of titanium-based metallic glasses is essential. (3) Developing antibacterial coatings and incorporating antibacterial metal elements into the alloys is essential to maintain the long-term effective antibacterial properties of metallic biomaterials. (4) Corrosion resistance must be further improved through the preparation of composite materials, while ensuring biocompatibility and safety, to achieve controllable degradation rates and degradation modes.