Effect of alloying elements on the characteristics of metallic biodegradable materials: A review

Biomedical applications necessitate natural or synthetic biomaterials that can maintain, improve, or even replace damaged tissue or a biological function, facilitating healing for people who have suffered from an injury or disease. Metallic biomaterials show superior mechanical properties with greater service life than other materials. Biodegradable materials can avoid the inevitable second operation of removing the implant in the case of temporary implantation, reducing the risk of infections, medical complications, healing time, and cost. Magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and their alloys are potential biodegradable metallic materials. The characteristics of biodegradable metallic materials are variable…