📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Metallic implant removal surgery after fracture healing constitutes a significant additional procedure burden in paediatric orthopaedics, with associated anaesthetic and financial costs, particularly in resource-limited Nigerian settings. Biodegradable magnesium alloy implants offer a promising alternative, resorbing in vivo as fracture healing progresses. This study conducts a systematic biomechanical evaluation of novel magnesium alloy Kirschner wires and screws for paediatric long bone fracture fixation, with an integrated clinical translation pathway applicable to the Nigerian healthcare context. Laboratory phases will include tensile testing, corrosion profiling in simulated physiological fluids, fatigue resistance under cyclic loading, and hydrogen evolution measurement. In vitro cytocompatibility will be assessed using paediatric osteoblast cell cultures. An in vivo small animal model will be used to assess cortical bone response, degradation kinetics, and fracture healing histology over eight weeks. A health economic modelling study will project cost savings from elimination of routine implant removal surgery in paediatric fracture management across twelve Nigerian teaching hospitals. The study hypothesises that optimised magnesium alloy composition achieves mechanical performance equivalent to titanium K-wires over the fracture healing period, with acceptable corrosion kinetics and no inhibitory effect on osteoblast activity. Findings will generate publishable original biomaterials data and a Nigeria-specific clinical translation roadmap. Keywords: magnesium alloy, biodegradable implants, paediatric fractures, biomechanics, clinical translation.
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