Review of crosslinked and non‐crosslinked copolyesters for tissue engineering and drug delivery

Abstract

Abstract Novel degradable biomedical materials are found to have huge potential applications in fields such as drug delivery and release, orthopedic fixation support and tissue engineering. Utilization of polymers as biomaterials has greatly impacted the advancement of modern medicine. In this review, some new degradable biomedical copolyesters reported in recent years are introduced and discussed in combination with some of our research results, including non‐crosslinked copolyesters, crosslinked copolyesters and their corresponding derivatives. The molecular design, chemical structures and related properties of these biodegradable copolyesters are reported. In summarizing the review, the development, potential applications and future directions of degradable biomedical copolyesters are discussed. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry