Evaluating the Degradation of WE43 for Implant Applications: Optical and Mechanical Insights

In the context of an ageing society, advancements in medicine and biomedical technology are becoming increasingly important. A major goal is to minimise the number of surgical operations. Magnesium alloys are gaining attention due to their degradable properties, good biocompatibility, and osteoconductivity. However, for implants made from this material to be usable, a precise understanding of the degradation rate and a correspondingly adapted design must be available. This work focuses on constructing a suitable experimental chamber for degradation analysis, as well as investigating the impact of sample positioning on degradation using two different geometries of WE43 alloy for potential use as osteosynthesis implants. Optical and mechanical tests were carried out on these geometries. The tests revealed that the sample positioning in the experimental chamber affects degradation, with the central position yielding the most suitable results for future applications. In addition, mechanical tests demonstrated reduced mechanical properties in the degradation layer. This work provides an initial basis for further investigations into the use of the WE43 alloy as an osteosynthesis implant and supports the numerical calculation of degradation.