Biodegradable Polymers in Biomedical Applications: A Review—Developments, Perspectives and Future Challenges

Abstract

Biodegradable polymers are materials that, thanks to their remarkable properties, are widely understood to be suitable for use in scientific fields such as tissue engineering and materials engineering. Due to the alarming increase in the number of diagnosed diseases and conditions, polymers are of great interest in biomedical applications especially. The use of biodegradable polymers in biomedicine is constantly expanding. The application of new techniques or the improvement of existing ones makes it possible to produce materials with desired properties, such as mechanical strength, controlled degradation time and rate and antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. In addition, these materials can take virtually unlimited shapes as a result of appropriate design. This is additionally desirable when it is necessary to develop new structures that support or restore the proper functioning of systems in the body.

A New Approach to Implant Stability Using a Flexible Synthetic Silicate-Additive Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate-Poly(D,L-lactide-co-caprolactone) Bone Graft: An In Vitro Study

“…Synthetic polymers are almost as diverse as those found in nature, and new polymers have been quickly introduced into the medical field, such as polyester/polyamide synthetic sutures [ 19 , 20 ]. There are also functional types of polymers that have been developed for biomedical applications such as drug delivery devices, vascular stents, sutures, thrombectomy devices, aneurysm or ductus arteriosus closure, orthodontic therapy, and wound dressings [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. The relative degradation rates and erosion mechanisms of hydrolytically degradable polymers are some of the key characteristics that significantly affect their ability to function as biomaterials [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…PLA has high strength and low tenacity, whereas PCL has high tenacity and low strength. By combining the advantages of both, poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLC) can provide improved strength and toughness [ 23 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Which Gelatin and Antibiotic Should Be Chosen to Seal a Woven Vascular Graft?

“…For woven and knitted aortic prostheses, various compositions and methods of sealing have been developed, including those containing antibacterial drugs. Gelatin-based (Gel) sealants are most popular due to their ability to form low-viscosity hydrogels [13,14], which form a thin elastic film on the inner and outer surfaces of a porous prosthesis after drying [15,16]. Gelatin sealing techniques vary widely, but they all require that the coating be elastic, uniform in thickness, firmly bonded to the surface, not peeled off during storage and intraoperative manipulation, and also do not significantly increase the rigidity of the graft.…”