Abstract
Biodegradable polymers are widely used as implant materials, e.g. for surgical suture. Recently, a group of biodegradable materials with shape-memory (SM) has been developed. SM polymers have the capability to change their shape upon exposure to an external stimulus.
One problem in suturing is that the suture becomes loose after swelling of tissue went down. Sutures made of SM polymers could provide a subsequent tightening of suture initiated by an external thermal stimulus. Also for knot formation in minimally invasive surgery these polymers are promising materials. In this study we examined the biocompatibility of biodegradable polymers with and without SM effect to assess them for application in contact with endothelium.
