New research on Advancing Biodegradable Implants

10/02/2025

A new research paper has been published, titled "Strategically designed bioactive dual-layer coating of octacalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate for enhancement of the corrosion resistance of pure magnesium for orthopaedic applications"

A number of researchers from the DCU Faculty of Engineering and Computing as well as the School of Chemical Sciences worked on this piece, Tina Sadat Hashemi, Dr Satish Jaiswal, Prof Helen McCarthy, Dr Tanya Levingstone, and Prof Nicholas Dunne.

This paper discusses the development of a new dual-layer system for the enhancement of the corrosion resistance of pure magnesium for orthopaedic applications. DCPD (first layer) sticks really well to the Mg (magnesium), making sure the coating stays in place. OCP (top layer) helps form hydroxyapatite (HA), which is great for bone healing. By combining both layers, they created a superior protective coating that reduces corrosion 5x more than uncoated Mg! Plus, the OCP layer is hydrophilic (it attracts water), which may help cells attach and grow, making it even better for bone implants.

This dual-layer system could be a game-changer for biodegradable implants, but more research is needed to confirm its full potential in real-world medical use.

Read the full paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0257897224011873