In vitro studies of biomedical magnesium alloys in a simulated physiological environment: a review

In spite of the immense potential of biodegradable magnesium alloys, the fast degradation rates of Mg-based biomedical implants in the physiological environment impose severe limitations in many clinical applications. Consequently, extensive in vitro studies have been carried out to investigate the materials' performance and fathom the associated mechanisms. Here, an up-to-date review of the in vitro studies on biomedical magnesium alloys in a simulated physiological environment is provided. This review focuses on four topics: (1) materials selection and in vitro biocompatibility of biomedical magnesium alloys; (2) in vitro degradation of biomedical magnesium alloys in simulated physiological environments, specifically discussing corrosion types, degradation rates, corrosion products and impact of the constituents in body fluids on materials degradation; (3) selection of suitable test media for in vitro assessment; and (4) future research trends.