Medical Device Link .

BBF Sterilisationsservice GmbH, Kernen, Germany Traditional metal implants have been used by surgeons in a large variety of applications for many years. Although widely used, an inherent set of problems such as long-term compatibility and possible migration, breakage and material reactions have led to the development of bioresorbable polymer implants and devices. Biodegradable polymers can be natural or synthetic. Synthetic polymers offer greater advantages than natural materials in that they show greater lot uniformity and are free from immunogenic concerns. The most widely used polymers are polyhydroxy acids such as polylactic acid (PLA), poly-D-lactic acid (PDLA) and their copolymers; and polyglycolic acid (PGA) and its copolymer, polylactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA). These polymers have excellent mechanical properties. Commercially available biodegradable devices are employed in sutures, orthopaedic fixation devices, dental implants, ligature clips, tissue staples and skin covering devices. These implants are only required to serve for a certain time period ranging from weeks to months. The functional behaviour of these implants is generally determined by their glass transition temperature, which can be as low as 10°C. In addition, residual stresses may remain in the moulded parts after manufacturing, which can lead to deformation on