• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2015

Background: Poly-L-lactide materials combined with hydroxyapatite (u-HA /PLLA) have been developed to overcome the drawbacks of absorbable materials, such as radiolucency and comparably less implant strength. This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of u-HA/PLLA material in the repair of orbital medial wall defects. Methods: This study included 10 patients with pure medial wall blow-out fractures. The plain radiographs were taken preoperatively, immediately after, and 2 months after surgery. The computed tomography scans were performed preoperatively and 2 months after surgery. Patients were evaluated for ease of manipulation, implant immobility, rigidity and complications with radiologic studies. Results: None of the patients had postoperative complications, such as infection or enophthalmos. The u-HA/PLLA implants had adequate rigidity, durability, and stable position on follow-up radiographic studies. On average, implants were thawed 3.4 times and required 14 minutes of handling time. Conclusion: The u-HA/PLLA implants are safe and reliable for reconstruction of orbital medial wall in terms of rigidity, immobility, radiopacity, and cost-effectiveness. These thin yet rigid implants can be useful where wide periosteal dissection is difficult due to defect location or size. Since the u-HA/PLLA material is difficult to manipulate, these implants are not suitable for use in complex 3-dimensional defects.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2020

Background: Due to the different handling properties of unsintered hydroxyapatite particles/poly-L-lactic acid (uHA/PLLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), we compared the surgical outcomes and the postoperative implantation accuracy between uHA/PLLA and PCL meshes in orbital fracture repair. Methods: Patients undergoing orbital wall reconstruction with PCL and uHA/PLLA mesh, between 2017 and 2019, were investigated retrospectively. The anatomical accuracy of the implant in bony defect replacement and the functional outcomes such as diplopia, ocular motility, and enophthalmos were evaluated. Results: No restriction of eye movement was reported in any patient (n= 30 for each group), 6 months postoperatively. In the PCL group, no patient showed diplopia or enophthalmos, while the uHA/PLLA group showed two patients with diplopia and one with enophthalmos. Excellent anatomical accuracy of implants was observed in 27 and 22 patients of the PCL and uHA/PLLA groups, respectively. However, this study showed that there were neither any significant differences in the surgical outcomes like diplopia and enophthalmos nor any complications with the two well-known implants. Conclusion: PCL implants and uHA/PLLA implants are safe and have similar levels of complications and surgical outcomes in orbital wall reconstruction.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.182-191
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• 2007

Bioabsorbable devices have been utilized and experimented in many aspects of orthopaedic surgery. Depending upon their constituent polymers, these materials can be tailored to provide sufficient rigidity to allow bone healing, retain mechanical strength for certain period of time, and then eventually begin to undergo degradation. The objective of this study was to estimate extent in which Poly-L-latic acid (PLLA) implants had bioabsorbability and biocompatibility with bone and soft tissue in dogs and also to develop bioabsorbable, biocompatible materials with the appropriate strength and degradation characteristics to allow for regular clinical use for treating orthopedic problems in humans as well as animals. Eighteen dogs were used as experimental animals and were inserted two types of PLLA implants. PLLA rods were inserted into subcutaneous tissue of back or the abdomen wall. And the rods were tested for material properties including viscosity, molecular weight, melting point, melting temperature, crystallinity, flexural strength, and flexural modulus over time. PLLA screws were inserted through cortical bone into bone marrow in the femur of the dogs and stainless steel screw was inserted in the same femur. Radiographs were taken after surgery to observe locations of screw. Histological variations including cortical bone response, muscular response, bone marrow response were analyzed over the time for 62weeks. The physical properties of PLLA rods had delicate balances between mechanical, thermal and viscoelastic factors. PLLA screws did not induce any harmful effects and clinical complications on bone and soft tissue for degradation period. These results suggest that PLLA implants could be suitable for clinical use.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2003

Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms of the oxygen-plasma treated biodegradable poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) fiber/poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)composites were investigated for the orthopedic applications as implant materials using micromechanical technique and surface wettability measurement. PPDO fiber reinforced PLLA composite can provide good mechanical performance for long hydrolysis time. The degree of degradation for PPDO fiber and PLLA matrix was measured by thermal analysis and optical observation. IFSS and work of adhesion, $W_a$ between PPDO fiber and PLLA matrix showed the maximum at the plasma treatment time, at 60 seconds. Work of adhesion was lineally proportional to the IFSS. PPDO fiber showed ductile microfailure modes at We initial state, whereas brittle microfailure modes appeared with elapsing hydrolysis time. Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms can be important factors to control bioabsorbable composites performance because IFSS changes with hydrolytic degradation.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.17-29
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• 2002

Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms of the bioabsorbable composites for implant materials were investigated using micromechanical technique and measurement of surface wettability. As hydrolysis time increased, the tensile strength, the modulus and the elongation of poly(ester-amide) (PEA) and bioactive glass fibers decreased, whereas those of chitosan fiber almost did not change. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between bioactive glass fiber and poly-L-lactide (PLLA) was much higher than PEA or chitosan fiber/PLLA systems using dual matrix composite (DMC) specimen. The decreasing rate of IFSS was the fastest in bioactive glass fiber/PLLA composites whereas that of chitosan fiber/PLLA composites was the slowest. Work of adhesion, $W_a$ between bioactive glass fiber and PLLA was the highest, and the wettability results were consistent with the IFSS. Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms can be important factors to control bioabsorbable composite performance.

• Composites Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.15-26
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• 2001

Interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms of the bioabsorbable composites fur implant materials were investigated using micromechanical technique and nondestructive acoustic emission (AE). As hydrolysis time increased, the tensile strength, the modulus and the elongation of poly(ester-amide) (PEA) and bioactive glass fibers decreased, whereas these of chitosan fiber almost did not change. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between bioactive glass fiber and poly-L-lactide (PLLA) was much higher than PEA or chitosan fiber/PLLA systems using dual matrix composite (DMC) specimen. The decreasing rate of IFSS was the fastest in bioactive glass fiber/PLLA composites whereas that of chitosan fiber/PLLA composites was the slowest. AE amplitude and AE energy of PEA fiber decreased gradually, and their distributions became narrower than those in the initial state with hydrolysis time. In case of bioactive glass fiber, AE amplitude and AE energy in tensile failure were much higher than in compression. In addition, AE parameters at the initial state were much higher than those after degradation under both tensile and compressive tests. In this work, interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms can be important factors to control bioabsorbable composite performance.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.601-611
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• 1998

Ion irradiation is a very promising tool to modify the chemical structure and physical properities of polymers. This study was aimed to evaluate the cellular adhesion to ion beam-irradiated surface of biodegradable poly-l-lactide(PLLA) membrane. The PLLA membrane samples were irradiated by using 35 KeV $Ar^+$ to fluence of $5{\times}10^{13}$, $5{\times}10^{14}$ and $5{\times}10^{15}\;ion/cm^2$. Water contact angles to control and each dose of ion beam-irradiated PLLA membranes were measured. Cultured fetal rat calvarial osteoblasts were seeded onto control and each dose of ion beam-irradiated PLLA membranes and cultured. After 24 hours, each PLLA membranes onto which osteoblasts attached were examined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Osteoblasts were removed from each PLLA membrane and then, the vitality and the number of cells were calibrated. Alkaline phosphatase of detached cells from each PLLA membranes were measured. Ion beam-irradiated PLLA membranes showed no significantly morphological change from control PLLA membranes. In the measurement of water contact angle to each membrane, the dose range of ion beam employed in this study reduced significantly contact angles. Among them, $5{\times}10^{14}\;ion/cm^2$ showed the least contact angle. The vitalities of osteoblastes detached from each membranes were confirmed by flow cytometer and well attached cells with their own morphology onto each membranes were observed by SEM. A very strong improvement of the cell adhesion and proliferation was observed for ion beam-irradiated surfaces of PLLA membranes. $5{\times}10^{15}\;ion/cm^2$ exhibited the most strong effect also in cellular adherence. ALPase activities also tended to increase in ion beam-irradiated membranes but statistical differences were not found. These results suggested that ion beam irradiation is an effective tool to improve the adhesion and spreading behaviour of the cells onto the biodegradable PLLA membranes for the promotion of membrane-tissue integration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.263-267
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• 2001

The changes of interfacial properties and microfailure degradation mechanisms of bioabsorbable composites with hydrolysis were investigated using micromechanical test and acoustic emission (AE). As hydrolysis time increased, the tensile strength, the modulus and the elongation of PEA and bioactive glass fibers decreased, whereas those of chitosan fiber changed little. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of bioactive glass fiber/poly-L-lactide (PLLA) composite was significantly higher than that two other systems. The decreasing rate of IFSS was the fastest in bioactive glass fiber/PLLA composite, whereas that of chitosan fiber/PLLA composite was the slowest. With increasing hydrolysis time, distribution of AE amplitude was narrow, and AE energy decreased gradually.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.299-315
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• 2001

Application of membranes for guided tissue regeneration(GTR) have been confined to the subgingival barrier functions; however, many studies have provided evidence that some drugs, including tetracycline, initially can promote the growth of periodontal ligament or alveolar bone in peridontal therapy. Osseous regeneration in periodontal defects is increased by local administration of tetracycline due to its anti-collagenolytic effect, which enhances bone-forming ability via osteoblast cell chemotaxis and reduced bone resorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of tetracycline loaded poly-L-lactide(PLLA) barrier membranes for guided bone regenerative potential. Tetracycline was incorporated into the PLLA membrane with the ratio 10% to PLLA by weight. Ability to guided bone regeneration of the membranes were tested by measuring new bone in the tibial defects($7{\times}10{\times}5\;mm^3$) of the beagle dog for 4,5, and 6 weeks. In control, drug-unloaded PLLA membranes were used in same size of defect. In histologic finding of the defect area, a few inflammatory cells were observed in both groups. These membrane were not perforated by connective tissue and maintained their mechanical integrity for the barrier function for 4-6 weeks. New bone formation was greater in defects covered by tetracycline-loaded membrane than in defects covered by drug- unloaded membranes. In bone regeneration guiding potential test, tetracycline-loaded membrane was more effective than drug- unloaded membranes(p<0.05). These results suggest that tetracycline-loaded PLLA membranes potentially enhance guided bone regenerative efficacy and might be a useful barrier for GTR in periodontal treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.98-98
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• 2007