Polymeric coatings and features of the preliminary surface treatment of biodegradable magnesium alloys: a review

Abstract

Magnesium-based biodegradable alloys are a promising material for developing self-dissolvingsurgical implants. Coating their surface is one way to give medical products made of magnesiumalloys the necessary corrosion characteristics, as well as increase bone affinity and acceleration thehealing process, by introducing medicines and nutrients into the coating. For magnesium alloys,oxide coatings are used, obtained by oxidizing magnesium or applying oxides of other metals, aswell as metal, ceramic and polymer coatings. This review considers polymer coatings, primarily theireffect on the corrosion properties of the material, as well as the features of surface preparation ofmagnesium alloys before their application. Information about the properties of coatings made fromvarious synthetic (polylactide, polycaprolactone, polydopamine) and natural (chitosan) polymers isgiven. Attention is paid to various types of surface treatment, such as mechanical grinding, chemicaletching, fluoration and alkalisation. For a few of polymer coatings, the results of in-vitro (on cellcultures) and in-vivo (on animals) biocompatibility studies are given. It has been shown that surfacepre-treatment has a great influence on characteristics such as coating adhesion and material corrosionresistance.