| 1. |
- Palmquist, Anders, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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Complex geometry and integrated macro-porosity: Clinical applications of electron beam melting to fabricate bespoke bone-anchored implants
- 2023
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Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 156, s. 125-145
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The last decade has witnessed rapid advancements in manufacturing technologies for biomedical implants. Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) has broken down major barriers in the way of producing complex 3D geometries. Electron beam melting (EBM) is one such 3D printing process applicable to metals and alloys. EBM offers build rates up to two orders of magnitude greater than comparable laser-based technologies and a high vacuum environment to prevent accumulation of trace elements. These features make EBM particularly advantageous for materials susceptible to spontaneous oxidation and nitrogen pick-up when exposed to air (e.g., titanium and titanium-based alloys). For skeletal reconstruction(s), anatomical mimickry and integrated macro-porous architecture to facilitate bone ingrowth are undoubtedly the key features of EBM manufactured implants. Using finite element modelling of physiological loading conditions, the design of a prosthesis may be further personalised. This review looks at the many unique clinical applications of EBM in skeletal repair and the ground-breaking innovations in prosthetic rehabilitation. From a simple acetabular cup to the fifth toe, from the hand-wrist complex to the shoulder, and from vertebral replacement to cranio-maxillofacial reconstruction, EBM has experienced it all. While sternocostal reconstructions might be rare, the repair of long bones using EBM manufactured implants is becoming exceedingly frequent. Despite the various merits, several challenges remain yet untackled. Nevertheless, with the capability to produce osseointegrating implants of any conceivable shape/size, and permissive of bone ingrowth and functional loading, EBM can pave the way for numerous fascinating and novel applications in skeletal repair, regeneration, and rehabilitation. Statement of significance: Electron beam melting (EBM) offers unparalleled possibilities in producing contaminant-free, complex and intricate geometries from alloys of biomedical interest, including Ti6Al4V and CoCr. We review the diverse range of clinical applications of EBM in skeletal repair, both as mass produced off-the-shelf implants and personalised, patient-specific prostheses. From replacing large volumes of disease-affected bone to complex, multi-material reconstructions, almost every part of the human skeleton has been replaced with an EBM manufactured analog to achieve macroscopic anatomical-mimickry. However, various questions regarding long-term performance of patient-specific implants remain unaddressed. Directions for further development include designing personalised implants and prostheses based on simulated loading conditions and accounting for trabecular bone microstructure with respect to physiological factors such as patient's age and disease status.
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| 2. |
- Shah, Furqan A., et al.
(författare)
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Bioactive glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
- 2018
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Ingår i: Bioactive Glasses (Second Edition). - 9780081009369 ; , s. 201-33
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics are a diverse group of materials possessing a unique set of physicochemical properties that make them useful for bone repair. Scaffolds for bone tissue engineering are subject to many requirements including biocompatibility, osteogenesis, biodegradability, and mechanical competence, all of which must be considered in the design features. This chapter addresses various scaffold fabrication techniques for melt-derived and sol-gel-derived compositions, polymer-based organic-inorganic composites, calcium phosphate-based inorganic-inorganic composites, bioactive bone cements, scaffolds based on glass compositions containing specific therapeutic ions, and hybrid materials where the organic and inorganic phases interact at the molecular level. The most important achievements, challenges and potential solutions, as well as the most promising areas of future research involving bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics for bone tissue engineering are presented.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Micheletti, Chiara, et al.
(författare)
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Ultrastructure and Nanoporosity of Human Bone Shown with Correlative On-Axis Electron and Spectroscopic Tomographies
- 2023
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Ingår i: ACS Nano. - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 17:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mineralized collagen fibrils are the building block units of bone at the nanoscale. While it is known that collagen fibrils are mineralized both inside their gap zones (intra-fibrillar mineralization) and on their outer surfaces (extra-fibrillar mineralization), a clear visualization of this architecture in three dimensions (3D), combining structural and compositional information over large volumes, but without compromising the resolution, remains challenging. In this study, we demonstrate the use of on-axis Z-contrast electron tomography (ET) with correlative energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) tomography to examine rod-shaped samples with diameters up to 700 nm prepared from individual osteonal lamellae in the human femur. Our work mainly focuses on two aspects: (i) low-contrast nanosized circular spaces (“holes”) observed in sections of bone oriented perpendicular to the long axis of a long bone, and (ii) extra-fibrillar mineral, especially in terms of morphology and spatial relationship with respect to intra-fibrillar mineral and collagen fibrils. From our analyses, it emerges quite clearly that most “holes” are cross-sectional views of collagen fibrils. While this had been postulated before, our 3D reconstructions and reslicing along meaningful two-dimensional (2D) cross-sections provide a direct visual confirmation. Extra-fibrillar mineral appears to be composed of thin plates that are interconnected and span over several collagen fibrils, confirming that mineralization is cross-fibrillar, at least for the extra-fibrillar phase. EDX tomography shows mineral signatures (Ca and P) within the gap zones, but the signal appears weaker than that associated with the extra-fibrillar mineral, pointing toward the existence of dissimilarities between the two types of mineralization.
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| 5. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Bone healing around biodegradable Magnesium implants: Differential response between interfacial and near-implant bone in vivo
- 2022
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Ingår i: 14th Symposium on Biodegradable Metals, Alicante, Spain 24-29 August 2022.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: By virtue of their mechanical properties and of their degradation, magnesium (Mg)-based osteosynthesis systems are metallic implants that hold the fractured bones while eliminated in situ, thus offering the promise of reduced complications posed by permanent implants. A growing amount of research validated Mg-based implants for bone fixation by providing robust evidence in support of new bone deposition in contact with the interfacial degradation layer. Whereas Mg-degradation products are known to distribute in the implant environment, less attention has been paid to the bone response at distance from the implant interface. The present study investigated the structural, cellular, and molecular events taking place at the bone-Mg implant interface and at distance from it after in vivo implantation in an experimental rat model. METHODS: Following approval by the Local Ethical Committee at the University of Gothenburg (Dnr: 14790/2019), male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=56) were implanted with miniature screws manufactured from pure magnesium (99.99% - high purity; Mg) or from pure titanium (grade 4; Ti) (herein, serving as a control, enabling osseointegration in this model). In each animal, the metaphysis of the left and right tibiae was drilled prior to the insertion of Ti or Mg screws. After 3 and 28 days, animals were euthanized, and two types of samples were retrieved (Fig. 1): 1-Implants and peri-implant bone for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) (n=8/group/time-point): were separately collected and allocated for molecular gene expression of the implant-adherent cells and of the cells in the peri-implant space. 2-Peri-implant bone with implants en bloc for paraffin or plastic embedding (n=6/group/time-point): enabling radiographical analyses using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histomorphometrical measurements of the bone at the implant interface and at distance from it. Statistical comparisons were made between experimental groups at each time point and between time-points for each experimental group. (Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; p<0.05). RESULTS: While histological observations provided evidence of new bone formation at the vicinity of both Ti and Mg, the bone marrow at distance from the implant-interface featured morphological differences between groups (Fig. 2). At 3 days, the proportion of the interstitial and microvascular area was significantly higher at the expense of the area occupied by the hematopoietic cells in Mg- vs Ti-implanted metaphyses. At 28 days, bone marrow around Mg implants showed significantly higher adiposity in comparison to Ti implants. Yet, no differences in the trabecular bone micro-architecture were detected between biomaterials by micro-CT analysis at distance from the implant-interface. The RNA extracted from cells from the implant surface and from the peri-implant bone revealed good quality, allowing detailed molecular analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to non-degradable Ti controls, the degradation of Mg implants changes the composition of the peri-implant bone marrow, but yet without alteration of new bone formation at the implant interface. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Mg rods were generously provided by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany. This project is part of the European Training Network within the framework of Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action No 811226.
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| 6. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Dissecting the sequential interaction between biodegradable magnesium implants and soft tissues in vivo
- 2022
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Ingår i: Materials Science and Engineering Congress, Dredsen, Germany, 27-29 September 2022.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Magnesium-based biomaterials are developed with the intention to enable tissue regeneration while being degraded under physiological conditions and eventually eliminated from the body. Once in contact with tissues, the biodegradability and the biocompatibility of magnesium implants (Mg) are governed by the direct interactions with their immediate milieu. The precise mechanisms through which the soft tissue micro-environment shapes the behaviour of Mg and the host-response remain elusive. Here, it is demonstrated that Mg degradation modulates the initial acute immune response and the subsequent fibrous encapsulation upon subcutaneous implantation in rats monitored at 1-, 3-, 6-, 14- and 28-days following surgery. In comparison to titanium implants (Ti), the initial profuse release of Mg degradation products activates pro-inflammatory pathways through increased recruitment of inflammatory cells to the soft tissue/implant interface and upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes, in parallel with a superior neo-angiogenesis and vascularization at Mg. After 6d, a shift in Mg degradation kinetics dissipates the initial pro-inflammatory response and facilitates the assembly of a comparatively thinner fibrous tissue capsule than around Ti. The reduction in the fibrous encapsulation around the Mg implant aligns with a superior expression of anti-fibrotic marker FOXO-1 at the tissue interface with Mg versus Ti. Mg induce an initial potent yet transient inflammatory response, which is associated with less adverse fibrous encapsulation after tissue healing. Tailoring Mg with controlled initial degradation appears to be crucial to enabling a successful coupling between inflammation and tissue repair during the early host response to Mg.
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| 7. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Immunomodulation by biodegradable Mg-implants promotes soft and hard tissues responses in vivo
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Society of Biomaterials conference, 21–24 March 2023, Røros, Norway.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Magnesium (Mg)-based degradable implants are an attractive treatment solution for musculoskeletal injuries, avoiding second-stage surgical removal. In multiple clinical applications, the implant is in contact with both the bone and the overlying soft tissue. Although Mg implants are often presented to hold anti-inflammatory properties, less attention has been paid to the sequential response to these implants including initial immune response and subsequent tissue repair. The present study investigated the molecular, cellular, and structural events taking place at the Mg implant interface to soft tissue and bone after in vivo implantation in dedicated experimental rat models. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats received disc-shaped implants in the dorsum subcutis or screw-shaped implants in the proximal tibial metaphysis. Implants were manufactured from pure magnesium (99.99% - high purity; Mg) or from pure titanium (grade 4; Ti) as control. Animals were euthanized after 1, 3, 6, 14, and 28 day of soft tissue implantation, and after 3 and 28 days of bone implantation. Two types of samples were collected: 1-Implants with the adherent cells (n=7-8/group/time-point). These were allocated for cell counting and /or gene expression analyses of implant-adherent cells. 2-Peri-implant tissue with implants (n = 8/group/time-point). These enabled histological and histomorphometric analyses of the fibrous capsule organization around implants inserted in soft tissues and of osseointegration parameters at the bone-implant interface. Statistical comparisons between experimental groups were run using Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: Cells adherent to the surface of the implants featured different gene regulation patterns between Mg and Ti groups (Fig. 1). Consistently in soft tissue and in bone, macrophage polarization markers indicated higher expression of proinflammatory macrophage gene inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNos) initially at Mg versus Ti (3 d in bone and 1-6 d in soft tissue). Afterward, gene expression of both macrophage subtypes markers (proinflammatory – iNos and prohealing – Mannose receptor c1; Mrc1) was comparable between implants, irrespective of their insertion site. Histomorphometry evidenced superior bone-implant contact (at 28 d in bone) and thinner fibrous capsule (at 6-28 d in soft tissue) for Mg versus Ti. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to non-degradable Ti, both soft tissue and bone responses to biodegradable Mg featured an initial yet transient gene activation of the macrophage proinflammatory subtype. Such immunomodulation by Mg resulted in the reduction of fibrous encapsulation in soft tissue and in the promotion of bone formation at the bone-implant interface. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Mg implants were generously provided by Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany. This project is part of the European Training Network within the framework of Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action No 811226.
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| 8. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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In vivo interaction between biodegradable magnesium implants and soft tissue Part II: Kinetics of the cellular response at the host-implant interface
- 2021
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Ingår i: 13th Biometal Conference, 23-26 August 2021, Virtual Conference..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Regenerative therapies often engage multiple tissues. Soft tissue complications (e.g. dehiscences and infection) may violate successful bone regeneration. Magnesium (Mg)-based degradable implants is a promising treatment alternative for musculoskeletal injuries, avoiding second-stage surgical removal. In several clinical applications, the implant is in contact with both the bone and the overlying soft tissue. Whereas the bone response to Mg implants has been a major research focus, less attention has been paid to the soft tissue response. The present study investigated the spatial and temporal molecular, cellular and structural events taking place at the soft tissue-Mg implant interface after in vivo implantation in an experimental rat model. METHODS: Following approval by the Local Ethical Committee at the University of Gothenburg (Dnr 02437/2018), female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=90) were implanted with discs manufactured from pure magnesium (99.99% - high purity; Mg) or from pure titanium (grade 4; Ti) (herein, employed as a control, possessing biocompatibility properties). Subcutaneous pockets were surgically created in the animal dorsum and were implanted with: 1- Ti; or 2- Mg discs; or 3- left without implants (Sham Ti or Sham Mg). After 1, 3, 6, 14 and 28 days, animals were euthanized, and three types of samples were retrieved: 1-Implants with the adherent cells (n=8/group/time-point): for cell counting and molecular gene expression of the implant-adherent cells. 2-Peri-implant exudate (n=8/group/time-point): for analyses of the number, type, viability, and gene expression of cells in the peri-implant space. 3-Peri-implant tissue with implants (n=8/group/time-point): enabling histological and histomorphometric analyses of soft tissue and fibrous capsule organization around the implant. Statistical comparisons were made between experimental groups at each time point and between time-points for each experimental group. (Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; p<0.05). RESULTS: Cells recruited to the exudates and adherent to the surface of the implants featured different kinetics between Mg and Ti groups. At the surface of Mg implant, the number of adherent cells sharply increased from 1 day to reach a peak at 6 days, thereafter decreasing toward 28 days. The ratio of implant-adherent/exudate cells was significantly higher at Mg vs Ti after 6 days, whereas the reverse was detected after 28 days. RNA extracted from cells from the different compartments revealed good quality, allowing detailed molecular analysis. After 28d, the fibrous capsule around Mg implants was significantly thinner than around Ti. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to non-degradable Ti controls, soft tissue healing around biodegradable Mg implants is characterized by an early, intense, but yet transient, cellular influx in the immediate vicinity of the implant surface, and, at later stage, with a reduced fibrotic encapsulation. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Mg implants were generously provided by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany. This project is part of the European Training Network within the framework of Horizon 2020 Marie Sk�odowska-Curie Action No 811226.
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| 9. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Magnesium implant degradation provides immunomodulatory and proangiogenic effects and attenuates peri-implant fibrosis in soft tissues
- 2023
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Ingår i: Bioactive Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 2452-199X. ; 26, s. 353-369
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Implants made of magnesium (Mg) are increasingly employed in patients to achieve osteosynthesis while degrading in situ. Since Mg implants and Mg2+ have been suggested to possess anti-inflammatory properties, the clinically observed soft tissue inflammation around Mg implants is enigmatic. Here, using a rat soft tissue model and a 1-28 d observation period, we determined the temporo-spatial cell distribution and behavior in relation to sequential changes of pure Mg implant surface properties and Mg2+ release. Compared to nondegradable titanium (Ti) implants, Mg degradation exacerbated initial inflammation. Release of Mg degradation products at the tissue-implant interface, culminating at 3 d, actively initiated chemotaxis and upregulated mRNA and protein immunomodulatory markers, particularly inducible nitric oxide synthase and toll-like receptor-4 up to 6 d, yet without a cytotoxic effect. Increased vascularization was demonstrated morphologically, preceded by high expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. The transition to appropriate tissue repair coincided with implant surface enrichment of Ca and P and reduced peri-implant Mg2+ concentration. Mg implants revealed a thinner fibrous encapsulation compared with Ti. The detailed understanding of the relationship between Mg material properties and the spatial and time-resolved cellular processes provides a basis for the interpretation of clinical observations and future tailoring of Mg implants.
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| 10. |
- Ben Amara, Heithem, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Promoting soft and hard tissue repair via immunomodulation by the surface degradation of magnesium implants in vivo
- 2023
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Ingår i: Materials for Tomorrow conference by Chalmers University of Technology, 8-10 November 2023, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Magnesium (Mg) is a reactive metallic biomaterial that degrades via surface corrosion upon contact with body fluids. By virtue of its degradation and mechanical properties, Mg implants are currently employed with success to treat musculoskeletal injuries and avoid second-stage surgical removal 1. While these implants are claimed to possess anti-inflammatory properties, this notion contrasts with the initial signs of inflammation observed in the soft tissue of patients treated with Mg implants. This study investigated how the surface degradation of Mg implants in vivo influences the molecular, cellular, and structural events during initial inflammation and subsequent healing of the interfacing soft tissue and bone in comparison to nondegradable titanium (Ti) implants using experimental rat models. METHODS: Rats received disc-shaped implants in their dorsum subcutis or screw-shaped implants in the proximal metaphysis of their tibiae. Implants were manufactured from pure Mg (>99.995% - high purity) or from pure Ti (grade 4). Animals were euthanized after 1, 3, 6, 14, and 28 days of soft tissue implantation, and after 3 and 28 days of bone implantation. Two types of samples were collected: i) Implants only (n = 7-8/group/time-point): for counting and/or gene expression analyses of implant-adherent cells. ii) Implants with peri-implant tissues (n = 5-8/group/time-point): for compositional analysis of the Mg degradation layer in conjunction with the histomorphometry of the fibrous capsule around implants in soft tissues and of osseointegration at the bone–implant interface. Statistical comparisons were run using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: Cells adherent to the implant surfaces featured different gene regulation patterns between Mg and Ti groups (Fig. 1). Initially in soft tissue (1–6 d) and bone (3 d), a higher expression of proinflammatory macrophage polarization markers, e.g. inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNos), was shown in Mg versus Ti groups. Afterward, by 28 d, gene expression of both macrophage subtype markers (proinflammatory – iNos, and prohealing – Mannose receptor c1; Mrc1) was comparable between implants, irrespective of their insertion site. Histomorphometry revealed superior bone–implant contact (at 28 d in bone) and thinner fibrous capsule (at 6–28 d in soft tissue) for Mg versus Ti (Fig. 1). The 28 d-degradation layer at the Mg surface was enriched in Ca and P in both soft tissue and bone. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to Ti implants, both soft tissue and bone responses to Mg implants featured an initial, amplified, yet transient, inflammation marked by the gene activation of the macrophage proinflammatory subtype. Such immunomodulation by the surface degradation of Mg implant promoted more bone deposition, at the bone–implant interface, and less fibrous encapsulation, at the soft tissue–implant interface. REFERENCES: 1. Han et al. Mater Today 2019, 23: 57-71. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (No 811226) and Area of Advance Materials/Chalmers and GU Biomaterials. Mg implants were generously provided by Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany.
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