Mechanical properties of biodegradable polymer sutures coated with bioactive glass

Combining commercially available Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl(R)) sutures with bioactive glass powder offers new possibilities for application of composite materials in tissue engineering. Commercial bioactive glass (45S5 Bioglass(R)) powder was used to coat Vicryl(R) sutures and the tensile strength of the sutures was tested before and after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) as a means to assess the effect of the bioactive glass coating on suture degradation. Different gauge lengths (126.6 and 111.6 mm) and strain rates (2.54, 11.4 and 25.4 mm/min) were tested. The tensile strength of composite sutures was slightly lower than that of as-received Vicryl(R) sutures (404 MPa versus 463 MPa). However after 28 days immersion in SBF the residual tensile strength of the coated sutures was significantly higher, indicating a protective function of the Bioglass(R) coating. The tensile strength results were similar for the different gauge lengths and strain rates investigated. A qualitative explanation for the effect of bioactive glass coating on polymer degradation is offered. (C) 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers.