ABSTRACT
Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and its related polymers such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(lactide), and poly(lactic acid) are FDA-approved inactive ingredients for use in drug products, medical devices, and combination products. From now on, all these polymers will simply be abbreviated as PLGA in the text. PLGA has not only a proven history of safety but also a plethora of clinical experiences. Depending on polymer characteristics, PLGA displays a wide range of degradation rates and mechanical strengths [1]. PLGA has been long used as stitches, suture, pins, and screws for surgical and orthopedic applications. For example, Vicryl (Ethicon Inc.) is a surgical suture composed of 90% glycolide and 10% L-lactide, which is completely dissolved between 56 and 70 days. SmartPin (Linvatec Biomaterials
Ltd.) composed of poly-96L/4D-lactide copolymer is an example of bone fixation pins.
