UCLA

In the past decade, zinc-based biodegradable materials have gained tremendous attention from researchers due to their promising biodegradability and biocompatibility [1] [2]. However, there are several limitations to pure Zn and Zn alloys and their use as biodegradable implants. The most critical drawbacks of pure zinc as biodegradable structural support are its poor strength and low stability, making it unsuitable in most biomedical implant use. This work reports the homogeneous incorporation of WC nanoparticles into the Zn and Zn-Fe matrix as an effective method for mechanical strengthening, namely microhardness strengthening and Young’s modulus enhancement. This work also demonstrates the tunability of Zn-WC’s mechanical properties and discusses how this tunability makes Zn-WC an ideal candidate for the material selection of bioresorbable implants. Lastly, this study successfully designed and fabricated a novel high-performance implant spring made of Zn-WC biodegradable nanocomposite for the treatment of short bowel syndrome.