STRENGTH RETENTION OF SELF-REINFORCED, ABSORBABLE POLYGLYCOLIDE RODS IN HYDROLYTIC ENVIRONMENT

Absorbable polyglycolide suture fibers were sintered with the compression molding techniques to cylindrical rods at temperatures between 205-degrees-C and 232-degrees-C for 3-5 min with final pressures of 50-80 N/mm2. The cylindrical rods had nominal diameters between 1.5-4.5 mm and a length of 50 mm. The initial bending moduli and the initial bending strengths of the rods were between 9-15 GPa and 220-430 MPa, respectively. The shear strengths of the rods were between 165-255 MPa. The hydrolytic loss of mechanical strength of the above self-reinforced, absorbable polyglycolide rods were studied in phosphate buffer at 37-degrees-C and 77-degrees-C. It was found that the rate of strength loss decreases with the increasing diameter of the rods. On the other hand, the rate of strength loss increases when the temperature of the buffer solution is raised. The strength retention time at 37-degrees-C was between 7-10 weeks showing that the loss of mechanical strength of self-reinforced polyglycolide rods occurs more rapidly in vivo than in vitro.