A review on recent advancements in biodegradable Mg-Ca alloys

The binary Mg-Ca alloys are drawing increasing attention as temporary implant materials because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and good mechanical properties. However, their applications are limited due to their high degradation rates in the human physiological environment, the consequent release of hydrogen gas, and rapid loss in mechanical properties. Furthermore, biocompatibility depends upon the degradability of the material. Various researchers have demonstrated that these issues can be addressed by control of Ca content, thermo-mechanical processing to obtain suitable microstructures, deposition of surface coatings, etc. In this manuscript, a detailed review of published literature on Mg-Ca alloys is presented. The challenges and future directions of research in this area are also described.