ABSTRACT
Biodegradable polymeric biomaterials, particularly totally resorbable composites, have also been experimentally used in the field of orthopedics, mainly as components for internal bone fracture xation such as PDS pins. Copolymer bers made from PDS and monomers other than linear aliphatic polyester such as morpholine2,5-dione exhibit rather interesting biodegradation properties. All glycolide/lactide-based linear aliphatic polyesters are based on poly(a-hydroxy acids). Two basic types of poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) exist: nonamino-acid-based PEAs synthesized from polyesterication of amidediol monomers and amino-acid-based PEAs (AA-PEAs) synthesized from solution polycondensation of amino acids, diols, and dicarboxylic acids. It appears that an increase in the hydrophobicity of AA-PEAs leads to a faster enzyme-catalyzed biodegradation. The most unique biological property of the biodegradable amino acid-based poly(ester amide)s is the very low foreign-body inflammatory response that the AA-PEAs can induce as well as their support of more natural wound healing.
