Fabrication and Characterization of PLA-PGA Orthopedic Implants

Fabrication methods and property characterization of polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), and their copolymers are reviewed. Both of these aliphatic polyesters belong to the a-hydroxy group and biodegrade in a physiological environment to monomeric acids, which are readily processed and excreted from the body. The physical and mechanical char-acteristics discussed include molecular weight, crystallinity, stress-strain behavior, perme-ability, and melting/glass transition temperatures. The most common methods of fabricat-ing PLA-PGA materials into medical devices are described