Biodegradable, elastic shape-memory polymers for potential biomedical applications

Abstract

The introduction of biodegradable implant materials as we[[as minimally invasive surgical procedures in medicine has substantially improved health care within the past few decades. This report describes a group of degradable thermoplastic polymers that are able to change their shape after an increase in temperature. Their shape-memory capability enables bulky implants to be placed in the body through small incisions or to perform complex mechanical deformations automatically. A smart degradable suture was created to illustrate the potential of these shapememory thermoplastics in biomedical applications.