Threads Made with Blended Biopolymers: Mechanical, Physical and Biological Features

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA) and Poly (ε-CaproLactone) (PCL) are widely used biodegradable polymers.
• Developing novel biocompatible materials for medical applications like sutures is crucial.
• Compatibilization is key to enhancing the properties of polymer blends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of PLA and PCL blends compatibilized with Ethyl Ester l-Lysine Triisocyanate (LTI) as suture biomaterials.
• To characterize the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the developed polymer threads.
• To evaluate the bioactivity and antibacterial properties of the PLA/PCL/LTI blends.

Main Methods:

• Melt spinning of PLA, PCL, and LTI blends to produce threads with an average diameter of 0.3 mm.
• Mechanical tensile testing to assess rigidity and elasticity.
• Calorimetric and morphological investigations.
• Biological tests to evaluate bioactivity and antibacterial efficacy.

Main Results:

• The PLA/PCL/LTI blends produced threads with tunable mechanical properties, becoming more rigid and elastic with increased PCL content.
• Morphological and calorimetric analyses provided insights into the blend structures.
• The materials demonstrated bioactivity and significant inhibition of bacterial growth.

Conclusions:

• The compatibilized PLA/PCL blends are promising candidates for biomedical suture applications.
• The tunable mechanical properties and inherent bioactivity make these materials suitable for wound closure.
• Further optimization of blend composition is recommended for advanced suture development.