Biodegradable Elastomers for Biomedical Applications and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Synthetic biodegradable polymers are of great value for the preparation of implants that are required to reside only temporarily in the body. The use of biodegradable polymers obviates the need for a second surgery to remove the implant, which is the case when a nondegradable implant is used. After implantation in the body, biomedical devices may be subjected to degradation and erosion. Understanding the mechanisms of these processes is essential for the development of biomedical devices or implants with a specific function, for example, scaffolds for tissue-engineering applications. For the engineering and regeneration of soft tissues (e.g., blood vessels, cardiac muscle and peripheral nerves), biodegradable polymers are needed that are flexible and elastic. The scaffolds prepared from these polymers should have tuneable degradation properties and should perform well under long-term cyclic deformation conditions. The required polymers, which are either physically or chemically crosslinked biodegradable elastomers, are reviewed in this article.

Degradable Controlled-Release Polymers and Polymeric Nanoparticles: Mechanisms of Controlling Drug Release

“…85–93 Degradable polymers (Figure 2) are attractive materials for the design of drug delivery systems, tissue-engineering scaffolds, implants, and surgical materials. 94–96 PLGA is the most utilized of the degradable polymers, due its long history of clinical use and favorable controlled-release and degradation behavior.…”

A dual‐induced self‐expandable stent based on biodegradable shape memory polyurethane nanocomposites (PCLAU/Fe3O4) triggered around body temperature

“…For the engineering and regeneration of soft tissues (e.g., blood vessels, cardiac muscles, and peripheral nerves), flexibility and elasticity are needed . SMPs allow for the better catering of adaptive materials to the requirements of human tissues due to an extensive range of mechanical and physical properties .…”

Synthesis of trimethylene carbonate/ϵ -caprolactone copolymers initiated with zinc alkoxide: influence of copolymer chain microstructure on thermal and mechanical properties

“…However, one can modify its properties by copolymerization with other monomers . Through copolymerization of TMC with CL, materials can be obtained characterized by high flexibility, which due to their specific properties are promising materials for forming three‐dimensional scaffolds in tissue engineering, carriers for sustained drug release and various implants for surgery or neurosurgery …”