Hydroxyapatite-doped poly(lactic acid) porous film coating for enhanced bioactivity and corrosion behavior of AZ31 Mg alloy for orthopedic applications

The corrosion behavior of magnesium and its alloys in the electrolytic physiological environment is extremely poor; this imposes a limitation for their use in orthopedic applications. In the present study, the effect of spray coating AZ31 magnesium alloy with membrane films of pristine and hydroxyapatite-doped poly(lactic acid) on corrosion behavior and bioactivity is investigated. Polymer concentration was found to have a strong impact on the pore size of the coating layer. However, addition of HAp NPs distinctly stimulated the precipitation of an apatite-like compound upon soaking the samples in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Magnesium coated samples revealed three orders of magnitude less corrosion compared to the naked samples, which indicates a stable electrochemical corrosion resistance. During a 15 days in-vitro test, pH variation, weight loss, and bending strength were lower for the coated samples (with average values of 8.5%, 7.2% and 10%, respectively) than the control sample (10.5%, 15.5%, and 25%, respectively). Moreover, the coated samples showed good bending strength characteristics. Cytocompatibility studies on MC3T3 cells revealed a continuous increase in cell growth with the coated samples. Overall, the suggested strategy might open a new avenue to widen utilization of Mg alloys as implant materials for orthopedic applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved