Abstract: Objective To investigate the feasibility of WE43 magnesium alloy applied as balanced degradable fixed materials in the bones of human body. Methods Both experimental WE43 and control Mg-Mn alloy rods were implanted into the same femora of 18 SD rats, which were sacrificed at different time postoperatively for hepatic and renal pathological analysis, implant/bone interface observation with stereoscope and scanning electron microscope(SEM), degradation rate counting and elements distribution scanning. Results WE43 rods showed better corrosion resistance and osteoinductive properties than Mg-Mn , although both of them degraded simultaneously. Likewise, both materials scarcely harmed liver and kidney of rats. A few earth elements of WE43 rod remained in the new bone and could promote bone development, while Mg and Mn elemnts in whatever alloy were not existed in the peripheral bone tissue. Conclusion WE43 alloy degrades slower than Mg-Mn alloy, which enables it to adapt to bone forming and rebuilt balance relationship between them. Therefore, WE43 is a potential biodegradable bone implant with good histocompatibility.

Key words: WE43 magnesium alloy, Degradation rate, Element distribution, Scanning electron microscopy, Rat