Poor corrosion resistance is one of the main disadvantages for biodegradable magnesium-based metals, especially applied for bone fixation, where there is a high demand of bio-mechanical strength and stability. Surface coating has been proved as an effective method to control the in vivo degradation. In this study a Ca-P self-sealing micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating was studied to verify its efficacy and biological properties by in vitro and in vivo tests. It was found that the MAO coating could effectively retard the degradation according to immersion and electrochemical tests as well as 3D reconstruction by X-ray tomography after implantation. The MAO coating exhibited no toxicity and could stimulate the new bone formation. Therefore, the Ca-P self-sealing MAO coating could be a potential candidate for application of biodegradable Mg-based implant in bone fixations.
Keywords: degradation; in vivo implantation; micro-arc oxidation coating; pure magnesium; self-sealing.