Biocompatible, Biodegradable Polymers for Use in Bone Repair

摘要

The need to regenerate bone has inspired the development and application of a vast number of materials to treat skeletal deficiencies. Traditionally, autogenous grafts and allogeneic bone bank preparations are the treatments of choice for skeletal reconstruction. Of particular interest to our group are the biocompatible, biodegradable synthetic polymers that may be used as carrier systems for selected bone inducing protein aggregates. The biocompatible, biodegradable polymers offer the advantages of being immunologically privileged, capable of formation into almost any shape, and of degrading naturally and in harmony with new bone formation. The discussion will be limited to synthetic polymeric materials that either have been investigated for delivering bone inducing proteins or that have potential for such application.