Development of Biodegradable Implants for Use in Maxillofacial Surgery.
Abstract
Biodegradable polymers were synthesized and fabricated into fracture-fixation plates for use in the management of maxillofacial injuries. The plates, however, did not possess sufficient strength and ridigity for properly immobilizing the healing bone. The biodegradable resins were subsequently reinforced with both ceramic and carbon fibers by a lamination process. The resulting appliances were not totally biodegradable, but served as a model study for methods to obtain the desired composite material properties. In vitro experiments with these materials showed that the composites were capable of retaining sufficient strength and integrity, in a pseudo-physiological environment, throughout the period normally required for formation of primary ossious union and subsequent healing. Implantation in dogs, conducted by the U. S. Army Institute of Dental Research, demonstrated the suitability of the fiber-reinforced resin systems for use in the promotion of healing in mandibular defects. Both biodegradable fibers and crosslinkable biodegradable resins were examined as methods for obtaining a totally biodegradable fixation system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 28, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA140201
Entities
People
- D. H. Lewis
- R. A. Casper
- R. L. Dunn
Organizations
- Southern Research