A review of photocrosslinked polyanhydrides: in situ forming degradable networks

Many orthopaedic injuries could benefit from a high-strength and degradable material with good tissue compatibility. In addition, there is a great clinical need for materials which are easily contoured or placed into complex-shaped defects by a surgeon. We have rationally designed a new class of photocrosslinkable polyanhydride monomers which in situ form high-strength and surface eroding networks of complex geometries. This paper highlights the advantages of these materials for orthopaedic applications and the technique of photopolymerization for reacting these monomers under physiological conditions. The rationale for the material design, photopolymerization kinetics, degradation behavior, and histology in subcutaneous tissue and a model bone defect are presented. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.