Bulk metallic glasses for implantable medical devices and surgical tools

With increasing knowledge of the materials science of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and improvements in their properties and processing, they have started to become candidate materials for biomedical devices. A dichotomy in the types of medical applications has also emerged, in which some families of BMGs are being developed for permanent devices whilst another family – of Mg-based alloys – is showing promise in bioabsorbable implants. The current status of these metallurgical and technological developments is summarized.