Biodegradable therapeutic devices

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) is a copolymer which is used in a host of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved therapeutic devices, owing to its biodegradability and... 

In this contribution, we will successively recall the interest and the limits of biopolymers and of artificial biopolymers with regard to temporary therapeutic applications, degradable polymeric compounds being unsuitable to uses as biostable devices. However, we will first recall the problons raised by the concept of biodegradation and the use of temporary therapeutic applications, with the aim of showing that, in therapeutic applications, it is the fete of the device that is important and not its degradability nor its biodegradability. 

For example, in the next couple of years, many of the permanent prosthetic devices used for temporary therapeutic applications will be replaced by biodegradable devices that could help the body to repair and regenerate the damaged tissues (36). 

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