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A Comparison of In‐Vitro and In‐Vivo Degradation of Poly( D , L ‐lactide) Bio‐Absorbable Intra‐Medullary Plugs
Author(s) -
Henn Gerard G.,
Birkinshaw Colin,
Buggy Martin,
Jones Eric
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/1616-5195(20010801)1:6<219::aid-mabi219>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - in vivo , hydrolytic degradation , medullary cavity , degradation (telecommunications) , hydrolysis , lactide , chemistry , in vitro , biodegradation , biomedical engineering , nuclear chemistry , materials science , anatomy , copolymer , polymer , biochemistry , medicine , organic chemistry , biology , telecommunications , microbiology and biotechnology , computer science
Poly( D , L ‐lactide) has been evaluated as a material for the manufacture of intra‐medullary plugs to be used in total hip arthoplasty. Plugs were manufactured by compression moulding and subjected to in‐vitro and in‐vivo degradation. In‐vitro hydrolysis was carried out by immersion in phosphate buffered saline (Ringer's solution) at 37°C and rates of degradation were relatively rapid with molecular weight halving after 30 days. In‐vivo degradation was assessed by implantation into dogs followed by retrieval at intervals up to 24 months. Molecular weight was found to reduce to half the original value in about 190 days. It is thought that this difference in degradation rate is because of diffusional control of the overall process. Histology showed that the implanted plugs were resorbed over 24 months.