Physical Properties and Erosion Behavior of Poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-epsilon-caprolactone) Networks

Form-stable resorbable networks are prepared by gamma irradiating trimethylene carbonate (TMC)- and epsilon-caprolactone (CL)-based (co)polymer films. To evaluate their suitability for biomedical applications, their physical properties and erosion behavior are investigated. Homopolymer and copolymer networks that are amorphous at room temperature are flexible and rubbery with elastic moduli ranging from 1.8 +/- 0.3 to 5.2 +/- 0.4MPa and permanent set values as low as 0.9% strain. The elastic moduli of the semicrystalline networks are higher and range from 61 +/- 3 to 484 +/- 34MPa. The erosion behavior of (co)polymer networks is investigated in vitro using macrophage cultures, and in vivo by subcutaneous implantation in rats. In macrophage cultures, as well as upon implantation, a surface erosion process is observed for the amorphous (co)polymer networks, while an abrupt decrease in the rate and a change in the nature of the erosion process are observed with increasing crystallinity. These resorbable and form-stable networks with tuneable properties may find application in a broad range of biomedical applications.