Table 3 Synthetic biodegradable polymers commonly used in tendon/ligament regeneration
From: Biodegradable polymer nanocomposites for ligament/tendon tissue engineering
Synthetic Biomaterial | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
PLLA | Slow degradation rate (10Â months to 4Â years) [33], better cell adhesion than PGA or PLGA. Easily manufactured [7] | Acidic degradation [7] |
PCL | Easily manufactured; FDA approved material [7]; (over 3Â years in vivo) [67] | Very slow degradation rate [7] |
PGA | Easily manufactured; FDA approved material [7] | Rapid (6–12 months) [68] and acidic degradation [7]; lack of signaling molecules [61] |
PLGA | Half-life of 1.5Â months [68]; Degradation rate can be tailored by changing the ratio of PLA:PGA. Easily manufactured [7] | Acidic degradation [7] |
PLCL | Properties can be tailored by changing the ratio of PLA:PCL. Good biocompatibility and mechanical properties; easily manufactured [69] | Excessively elastic for tendon regeneration [69] |