In Vivo Analysis of a Biodegradable Magnesium Alloy Implant in an Animal Model Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

Biodegradable Magnesium (Mg) based implants have several advantages over non-biodegradable metallic implants as they have mechanical properties close to the natural bone. Monitoring the interaction of magnesium with tissue over time without any interferences is challenging. Optical near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive method that can be used to monitor tissues’ functional and structural properties. In this paper, we use a specialized optical probe for in vivo studies and in vitro lab experiments. Spectroscopic data were acquired for two weeks in both setups (in vivo and in vitro) to study the combined effect of biodegradable Mg-based implant disks on the cell culture medium and in vivo. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for data analysis. In the in vivo study, we assess the feasibility of using the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum to relate the physiological events in response to magnesium alloy implantation for time points (Day 0, 3, 7, and 14) after surgery. The results show that the optical probe can capture variations in vivo from biological tissues from rats with biodegradable magnesium alloy "WE43" implants. The analysis identified a trend in the optical data over ten days. The primary challenge of in vivo data analysis is the complexity of the implant interaction near the interface with the biological medium

In vivo analysis of biodegradable magnesium alloy implant in an animal model using near-infrared spectroscopy