Biomedical biodegradable polymer matrice

Kramschuster, A. Turng, L. S. 2010. An injection molding process for manufacturing highly porous and interconnected biodegradable polymer matrices for use as tissue engineering scaffolds. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B-Applied Biomaterials, 92B, 366-376. 

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). 

Starch in its native or modified form, has been subjected to extensive study over the past 50 years. Early interest in starch was associated with the food and paper industry, textile manufacture, and pharmacolog) . With the increased interest of biomedical and pharmaceutical research in biodegradable polymers as matrices for controlled drug delivery systems, impressive activities on the modification of natural polymers to meet growing needs have been reported (Hag et al, 1990 Kost and Shefer, 1990 Shefer et al, 1992 Trimnell et al, 1982 Vandenbossche et al, 1992 Visavarungroj et al, 1990). 

Recently, for the example ofpoly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and a number of its composites [14-16] we have studied physical-chemical, dynamic and transport characteristics of macroscopic biodegradable matrices and microparticles of PHB which were designed for controlled dmg release [16, 17]. High biocompatibility, controlled biodegradation and appropriate mechanical properties allow one to consider this biopolymer as one of the most promising biomedical polymers. Besides therapeutical aims, PHB is widely used as bone implants, nervous conduits, matrices in cell engineering, filters and membranes, in cardiology and in the other areas [14,18,19]. 

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