Bioactive Fe Foam for Degradable Bone Graft Cages

Fe foams when combined with a proper surface coating can be effectively used as a biodegradable metal with improved biocompatibility and bioactivity. Herein, Fe foams prepared via powder metallurgy route coated with two different bioactive coatings namely polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/bioglass (BG) and polylactic acid (PLA)/BG are investigated. The effect of hydrophilic PVA and hydrophobic PLA, in conjunction with BG, has been examined. The study of biomineralization, degradation, and weight loss of the composite‐coated material over a period of 28 days is compared with that of the uncoated Fe foam samples in simulated body fluid. The composite coatings on the Fe foam effectively tailor the degradation with enhanced biomineralization. The composite‐coated material exhibits viability toward the L929 fibroblast cell line. The work reveals the great potential of Fe foams to be used as a biodegradable metallic material for temporary implant applications such as bone graft cages. Open‐cell Fe foams are proposed as candidate material for degradable metallic implants. The effect of bioactive coatings on the degradation, biocompatibility, and bioactivity of Fe foam is studied. The coatings can effectively tailor the degradation rate of Fe and enhance the biomineralization on Fe foam surface.