ABSTRACT
Selecting a polymer for biomedical applications it should be specified which chemical and physical properties are required. Polymeric materials had been utilised in the medical practice many years ago when first synthetic polymers were obtained. Multiblock poly(ester-ether) elastomers with the soft segment composed of modified poly(ethylene oxide) were found to be degradable, biocompatible and bioerodible materials, with their end usage as an artificial tympanic membrane and bone graft substitute. In biomedical applications, environmental stability tends to be particularly important in processing, sterilization and long-term implantation. Several chemical and physical procedures can be chosen for sterilization purposes of biomedical devices. In general all polymers are susceptible to degradation, but the conditions under which polymers degrade vary within wide ranges. Degraded materials change their chemical, mechanical and biochemical properties. Degradation of polymers in the presence of hot water shows variations in their degradation profile according to changes of polymers composition.
