Polyester lactide-glycolide copolymer

One approach is the copolymerization of caprolactone with other cyclic monomers that nndergo ROP, namely, lactide, glycolide [70], or fnnctionalized epoxides [62,63]. In these systems, the second monomer is considered to bear the desired functionality or chemical moiety, and therefore, a wide range of novel functionalities and polymer properties are accessible. Statistical copolymers of caprolactone with lactides and glycolides are discussed earlier [70]. Beside these commonly used polyester monomers, a variety of other functional cyclic esters are described. Cyclic esters... 

Poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) Figure 13.2 Polyester polymers and copolymers. 

Most of the commercially available biodegradable devices are polyesters composed of homopolymers or copolymers of glycolide and lactide. There are also devices made from copolymers of trimethylene carbonate and e-caprolactone, and a suture product made from polydioxanone. 

There are many medical and surgical devices of various shapes and sizes made of aliphatic polyesters.These devices are made by various processing routes. In general, large-scale devices such as sutures [e.g. Dexon (100%PGA),Viciyl (copolymer of glycolide in combination with L-lactide), Monocry 1 (copolymer of e-caprolactone) or Maxon (copolymer of trimethylene carbonate)] and macroscopic implants used for bone fixation can be manufactured by solvent-or melt-spinning processes. The fibre forms can then be drawn under different conditions in order to orient the polymer chains. Fibres prepared... 

Ester bonds in polyester soft segments, such as poly(caprolactone) (PCL), jx)ly(lactide) (PLA), poly(glycolide) (PGA), their copolymers, and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Carbonate bonds in polycarbonate soft segments Hydrolysis it can be catalysed by enzymes Degradation rate depends on the soft segment type e.g. the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) units increases the hydrolysis rate... 

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