Molecular and Macroscopic Considerations for Degradable Aliphatic Polyester Biomaterial Design

Degradable aliphatic polyesters (DAPs) are integral materials for the design of resorbable medical devices including resorbable sutures, drug delivery depots, and temporary tissue growth supports. The clinical application of DAPs is due to their ability to resorb over a therapeutic window. Control over resorption rates is defined by material properties, which inform the selection of a formulation for specific applications. This review examines the synthesis and degradation behavior of DAPs for biomedical applications. We focus on copolymer DAPs, which offer promising opportunities to tailor resorption by strategically incorporating diverse α,ω-dicarboxylic acid and α,ω-diol monomers. We analyze the molecular and macroscopic factors influencing hydrolytic degradation, correlating these to the copolymer composition. We highlight emerging approaches for assessing degradation behavior through efficient techniques and real-time monitoring capabilities. Material property-informed DAP innovation offers a strategy for improved resorbable device performance tailored for specific biomedical applications.