A National Cheng Kung University research team said they have developed a magnesium-based compound with medical applications that the human body can absorb and later expel through urine.
The material would eliminate the need for patients who require metal fittings in surgery to undergo follow-up procedures to remove the fittings, they said.
ANIMAL TESTED
The compound has been patented, following successful tests on mice and rabbits, the team said, adding that the time needed for its absorption by the human body can be adjusted to accommodate patients of different ages.
The project was the result of cross-departmental efforts by the university’s materials science professors Hung Fei-yi (洪飛義) and Lui Truan-sheng (呂傳勝), biomedical engineering professor Ye Ming-lung (葉明龍) and oral medicine professors Chuang Hsu-fen (莊淑芬) and Yuan Kuo (袁國).
Four years ago, the team began researching a metallic compound that could be absorbed and expelled by the human body, while promoting cell production in bones.
“The magnesium pegs are a Taiwanese innovation,” Hung said.
Existing pegs cannot be used in some medical applications due to aluminum content, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease in humans, he said.
NON-TOXIC
Meanwhile, magnesium can easily ignite when manipulated, Hung said, adding that the researchers had to conduct extensive tests to find a way to safely use the material for medical purposes.
The team devised the compound for use in oral reconstructive surgery after finding a suitable temperature at which to manipulate the magnesium alloy, Hung said, adding that testing has shown that the material is not toxic to cells and will not be rejected by the human body.
Compared with conventional pegs, the researchers’ design eliminates the risk of local fractures when used in skeletal reconstruction, he said.
The team has published its findings in numerous international publications over the past four years, Hung said.
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