Recently, biodegradable metal implant materials based on magnesium (Mg) alloys have gained much interest of clinicians. Their application in orthopaedic field may lead to the reduced use of permanent metallic implants avoiding implant removal surgeries and significantly reducing the costs. In order to improve a poor corrosion resistance, Mg alloys can be coated by biomimetic calcium phosphates. In this work, Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) was used as coating material due to its excellent biocompatibility and degradability. Doping TCP with trace elements, like Cu, Zn, Mn or Fe, may impart implants also with antimicrobial properties.

In this work, Fe-TCP coatings were deposited on Mg-Ca alloys. Coated and uncoated alloys were used for electrochemical tests to study their corrosion resistance in Simulated Body Fluid. Tafel curves showed the highest protective efficiency for the Fe-TCP coated Mg-Ca alloys deposited at 300 °C. Equine adipose tissue- derived mesenchymal stem cells were used for MTT test and osteogenic differentiation study. The cells growth rate for the mentioned above samples was 97%. Microbiology tests were performed with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria strains. The inhibition of E. coli was substantial (55%), while no significant reduction of S. aureus was reached. Further in vivo testing is recommended.