Zinc (Zn) and its alloys are promising candidates for biodegradable metals in medical applications. However, their clinical use in internal fixation is hindered by low mechanical strength, uncontrolled corrosion, and insufficient bioactivity. To address these issues, we developed an extruded Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr ternary alloy and systematically evaluated its biological performance. In vitro corrosion tests indicated that Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr exhibited superior corrosion resistance, attributed to a dense passivation layer that provided effective protection, controlled degradation kinetics, and milder Zn2+ release. The cytotoxicity of Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr toward pre-osteoblasts was concentration-dependent. Within the non-cytotoxic concentration range (Zn2+ ≤8.98 μg mL-1), Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr promoted osteogenic differentiation more effectively than pure Zn. Further in vivo studies confirmed favorable biocompatibility and more uniform degradation of Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr, with reduced pitting corrosion and structural collapse. Notably, Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr exhibited superior performance in promoting bone regeneration and anti-inflammatory immunomodulation compared to pure Zn. These findings highlight Zn-0.8Mg-0.2Sr as a promising alternative to conventional internal fixation materials, offering favorable biocompatibility, controlled biodegradability, and enhanced osteogenesis.

Department of Prosthodontics School and Hospital of Stomatology and Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou 510180 China

FZU The Institute of Physics Czech Academy of Sciences Na Slovance 1999 2 Prague 8 182 00 Czech Republic

SINOPEC Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Medical and Hygienic Materials SINOPEC Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co Ltd Beijing 100013 China

State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus West China Hospital of Stomatology Sichuan University Chengdu 610041 China

University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Faculty of Chemical Technology Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering Prague 6 Dejvice Czech Republic

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