ABSTRACT
Biomaterial research in the medical device industry is no longer exclusively centered on biostable materials intended for long-term deployment in the body. Interest in growing Želds such as tissue engineering and controlled release has prompted the development of polymeric materials that degrade at a controlled rate into safe, noncytotoxic by-products. It is well known that polyurethanes have been used frequently in medical devices for biostable applications due to their established biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. The variable segmental chemistry in developing resorbable polyurethanes allows for better control over the degradation proŽle as well as the mechanical properties. Thus, the user can tailor the polyurethane to meet the desired material properties for a wide range of applications. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce this new generation of segmented polyurethanes and their potential use in medical devices. To this end, a comprehensive review will be presented including segmental composition, degradation mechanisms, degradation monitoring, structure effects on degradation, and current medical device applications.
