[Progress and prospect of synthetic biodegradable polymers for bone repair and reconstruction]

To review the latest researches of synthetic biodegradable polymers for bone repair and reconstruction, to predict the progress of bone substitute materials and bone tissue engineering scaffolds in future.

The literature concerning synthetic biodegradable polymers as bone substitute materials or bone tissue engineering scaffolds was collected and discussed.

Aliphatic polyester, polyanhydride, polyurethane and poly (amino acids) were the most extensively studied synthetic biodegradable polymers as bone substitutes and the scaffolds. Each polymer was of good biological safety and biocompatibility, and the degradation products were nontoxic to human body. The mechanical properties and degradation rate of the polymers could be adjusted by the type or number of the monomers and different synthetic methods. Therefore, the polymers with suitable mechanical strength and degradation rate could be produced according to the different requirements for bone grafting. Preliminary studies in vivo showed their favorable capacity for bone repair.

The synthetic biodegradable polymers, especially the copolymers, composite materials and those carrying bone growth factors are expected to be the most promising and ideal biomaterials for bone repair and reconstruction.