Abstract
Magnesium is a revolutionary biomaterial for orthopedic implants, owing to its eminent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, its uncontrolled degradation rate remains a severe challenge for its potential applications. In this study, we developed a self-healing micro arc oxidation (MAO) and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) double-passivated coating on a magnesium membrane (Mg-MAO/DCPD) and investigated its potential for bone-defect healing. The Mg-MAO/DCPD membrane possessed a feasible self-repairing ability and good cytocompatibility. In vitro degradation experiments showed that the Mg contents on the coating surface were 0.3, 3.8, 4.1, 6.1, and 7.9% when the degradation times were 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks, respectively, exhibiting available corrosion resistance. The slow and sustained release of Mg2+ during the degradation process activated extracellular matrix proteins for bone regeneration, accelerating osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). The extract solutions of Mg-MAO/DCPD considerably promoted the activation of the Wnt and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Furthermore, the evaluation of the rat skull defect model manifested the outstanding bone-healing efficiency of the Mg-MAO/DCPD membrane. Taken together, the Mg-MAO/DCPD membrane demonstrates an optimized degradation rate and excellent bioactivity and is believed to have great application prospects in bone tissue engineering.