Controlling Degradation Rate of Poly(lactic acid) for Its Biomedical Applications

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is widely used in many different biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, complete biodegradability, and non-toxic degradation products. However, PLA may be limited in particularly long degradation, which is not always desirable in many biomedical applications. In this short review, we summarized some of the most recent studies on controlling the degradation rate of PLA, employing copolymerization, blending, additives and irradiation. This review discussed the pros and cons of those methods considering their applications to bioabsorbable fixation or drug delivery devices. We also suggested the design parameters for PLA treatment for its wide applicability to biomedical fields.