Third Prize with Project Title “Novel Bioresorbable Mg-based alloys for patient-specific implants using laser additive manufacturing” at the 2021 International 3D Printing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (I3IEC)

The currently used materials for bone plates and screws for bone fracture healing are Ti alloys and stainless steel, which require secondary surgery to remove the implant after bone recovery. However, such secondary removal surgery puts pressure on the body, causes pain, risk, inconvenience, hospitalization and additional costs and it adds to the problem of the shortage of hospital beds especially during COVID-19. A step change is in applying novel bioresorbable Mg alloys, which are designed to be fully degraded in the human body after bone recovery and therefore removing the need for secondary surgery.

The project has successfully applied laser additive manufacturing to fabricate high aspect-ratio Mg alloys parts. Such high aspect-ratio parts are difficult to additively manufacture due to the heat accumulation although they have a more similar shape to actual bone plates. The project has also applies a support structure to minimize the deformation, which is a major change from research to practical applications.