Coronary artery disease is a condition in which fatty substances and plaque accumulate in the coronary arteries, leading to atherosclerosis and narrowing of the arteries. One treatment method involves inserting a metal mesh tube called stent into the blood vessel to expand and secure at the disease, thereby ensuring blood flow. The materials of coronary artery stent are Co-Cr alloys and stainless steel, and these materials remain in the body semi-permanently even after recovery and also in some cases, removal surgery may be necessary if they may cause restenosis. As an alternative material, magnesium (Mg), one of the essential elements for the human body, is being considered because it has low toxicity even when corroded in the body. However, the corrosion behavior of Mg in the body is unclear, and there are challenges in controlling the duration of strength retention. In this study, corrosion tests on magnesium were conducted under flow conditions simulating coronary arteries by using simulated body fluid developed by Kokubo et al. , physiological saline solution, and distilled water. The corrosion behavior of magnesium was evaluated through surface observation, corrosion potential measurement, and elemental analysis of corrosion products.
KATAGIRI et al. (Wed,) studied this question.