Abstract
Biodegradable polymers are widely used as implant materials e.g. as surgical suture material. A group of biodegradable implant materials with shape-memory has been developed for applications in biomedicine. Biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers, as example for a biodegradable shape-memory polymer system, are presented and a smart suture is given as example for a potential application. The combination of stimuli-sensitive implant materials with techniques of minimally invasive surgery is expected to have high potential for applications.
