University of Florida Professor Develops Biodegradable Magnesium Surgical Pins

The University of Florida reported that Associate Professor of materials science and engineering, Michele Manuel, has developed a surgical pin made from magnesium. The researcher is now “working to control the rate at which the pin degrades in the body.

As quoted in the publication:

In laboratory tests, the pin offers several advantages over the plastic and stainless steel or titanium pins currently used.

“We don’t always want to put in a metal implant and leave it there forever,” Manuel said. “The idea with this pin is that it would dissolve over time, and after it’s finished, your body is basically in the same state it was before you had an injury.

“Everybody knows someone who has an implant in their body that they wish wasn’t there,” Manuel said. “Surgical pins don’t have to become permanent fixtures in the body.”

The pin not only biodegrades but also aids healing. Magnesium builds bone, so it can function both as a pin and as a nutrient.

Click here to read the full University of Florida News report.