In vitro predegradation at elevated temperatures of poly(lactide)

Abstract

In this study in vitro predegradation at elevated temperatures, used to obtain an increased degradation rate, was investigated. The in vitro degradation was followed by mass loss, molecular weight loss and changes in thermal properties. Two biodegradable polymers, the homopolymer PLLA and a copolymer PLA96 (96% L4%D lactide), were hydrolytically degraded at 90°C in a phosphate buffered solution. Both polymers, PLLA and PLA96, showed an initial linear degradation rate, but with longer implantation periods the degradation rate decreased and total degradation was best described as an asymptotic. Mass loss of the copolymer PLA96 was twice that of PLLA. The chemical analysis of the in vitro predegraded polymers coincided for both the decrease in molecular weight and the thermal properties with physiologically degraded poly(lactide). The results of this study show that although the degradation temperature is well above the glass transition temperature and not comparable to physiological temperatures, there seems to be good correlation between the in vitro degraded material and physiologically degraded material. In vitro predegradation enables investigation of the entire degradation process of a polymer in a short-term study. Moreover, in vitro predegradation allows direct comparison of the degradation rate of various polymers.