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Prediction of resorption rates for composite polylactide/hydroxylapatite internal fixation devices based on initial degradation profiles
Author(s) -
Hile David D.,
Doherty Stephen A.,
Trantolo Debra J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.30091
Subject(s) - resorption , polymer , materials science , hydroxylapatite , flexural strength , hydrolysis , degradation (telecommunications) , buffer (optical fiber) , composite number , composite material , fixation (population genetics) , biomedical engineering , chemistry , biochemistry , medicine , telecommunications , pathology , computer science , gene , enzyme
Abstract Mechanical and physicochemical outcomes were used to predict the resorption rate of polylactide‐based internal fixation devices with and without incorporation of an osteoconductive buffer. Devices were degraded in vitro for 1 year. Addition of an osteoconductive buffer to a resorbable polymer internal fixation device controlled the rate of acid generation resulting from polymer hydrolysis. The pH of the physiological buffer remained neutral when it was exposed to the buffered screw, whereas the pH decreased to approximately 3.0 for the polylactide device. Neutralizaton of the acids generated during polymer hydrolysis increased the projected resorption time of the buffered device to 104 weeks in comparison to 71 weeks for a similar screw made from polylactide. In addition, the buffered device retained a higher percentage of its initial flexural strength throughout the course of degradation than the polylactide screw. The flexural strength of the polylactide screw decreased 20% during the first 4 weeks of polymer degradation, whereas the buffered device maintained its initial mechanical properties through 16 weeks of degradation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 71B: 201–205, 2004