Reinforced polylactic acid for use in high strength biodegradable medical implants.

Abstract

Traditional medical implants, such as orthopedic screws, pins, and coronary stents, are almost exclusively metallic due to high mechanical strength requirements. However, issues related to the use of permanent metallic implants are a cause of concern. These include immune rejection, consistent inflammation, removal surgery, stress shielding in orthopedic fixation devices, and restenosis in metallic coronary stents.1, 2 Biodegradable polymeric implants that can degrade away after service life appear to be the solution to these issues. However, biodegradable polymers are much weaker compared to metal.