Absorbable Mg surgical tack: Proof of concept &in situ fixation strength.

Abstract

A prototype magnesium (Mg) surgical tack is tested comparatively against commercially available tacks made of titanium (ProTack^tm, Medtronic) and PLGA (AbsorbaTack^tm, Medtronic). The pull-out force is measured in situ in a lap-shear pull-out test, using porcine abdominal muscle tissue as a model. The Mg tack had a pull-out force comparable to those of the commercially available tacks. The majority of the Mg tacks also had a more ductile failure mode (i.e. the tacks deformed prior to failure), compared to the commercial tacks which pulled directly from the tissue with no deformation. The Mg tacks deformed as they were removed from the tissue, causing less damage to the tissue in the process. This is the first reported use of a Mg alloy in this application, and the proof of concept indicates that this is an area that deserves further interest and study.