Effect of Poly(L-lactic acid) on Hydrolytic Degradation of Poly(glycolic acid)

Abstract

The in-vitro degradation behavior of poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) rods and the composite rods containing poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) were investigated via mass loss, pH value change, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Since the degradation rate of PLLA is lower than that of PGA, PLLA/PGA composite rods exhibit a slower degradation rate in comparison with PGA. This finding indicated that it was possible to control the degradation rate of the composites by changing their composition. This result indicates that this kind of composite biomaterial may be applicable to devices for the need of prolonged degradation.