Biodegradable surgical sutures

The polymer can be spun into an elastic yam of very fine denier. It is also claimed to exhibit good mechanical properties for molding and compares favorably with commercial polyesters and nylons. Also, polycaprolactone was reported to be used in some medical applications in biodegradable surgical sutures and postoperative support pins and splints. Similar uses are also found for two other polyesters, poly (lactic acid) and poly(glycolic acid). The two polymers form from their cyclic dimers by cationic ring-opening polymerizations with the aid of Lewis acids ... 

Sei f-Tfst 19.4A (a) Write the formula for the monomer of the polymer sold as Teflon, — (CF2CF2),—. (b) The polymer of lactic acid (16) is a biodegradable polymer made from renewable resources. It is used in surgical sutures that dissolve in the body. Write the formula for a repeating unit of this polymer. 

Polyglycolide was one of the first synthetic polymers used as a degradable surgical suture [122]. Fig. 8 shows the glycolide monomer and polymer structures. This aliphatic polyester is biodegradable and exhibits negligible toxicity when implanted in tissue. It is also possible to fabricate a strong fiber of this polyester with satisfactory mechanical properties. 

Biodegradable polymers are receiving more and more attentions for their wide application in biomedical uses, such as drug carriers, matrices in tissue engineering, surgical sutures, etc (1). 

Biodegradability is often an important consideration in the development of biomedical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural products for a number of applications. Biodegradable polymers have been formulated for uses such as controlled release and drug-delivery devices, surgical sutures, scaffolds for tissue regeneration, vascular grafts and stents, artificial skin, and orthopedic implants. 

C.K.S. Pillai, C.P. Sharma, Review paper absorbable polymeric surgical sutures chemistry, production, properties, biodegradability, and performance. J. Biomater. Appl. 25 (2010) 291-366, doi 10.1177/0885328210384890. 

Ah these interesting characteristics have led to the development of numerous applications of chitosan and its derivatives not only in biomedicine such as surgical sutures, biodegradable sponges and bandages [143], matrices (in microspheres, microcapsules, membranes and compressed tablets) for the delivery of drugs [147], but also in orthopaedic materials and dentistry [148]. 

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