Effect of Thermal Processing on the Dynamic/Isothermal Crystallization and Cytocompatibility of Polylactic Acid for Biomedical Applications Articles uri icon

authors

publication date

  • December 2021

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 11

issue

  • 23

volume

  • 222

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1022-1352

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1521-3935

abstract

  • Polylactic acid (PLA) is a semi-crystalline biopolymer with numerous applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. PLA biodegradable devices are usually manufactured by extrusion or injection molding. The crystalline-amorphous structure that PLA acquires during processing is relevant for its applications as it determines the biodegradation rate as well as the mechanical properties of the final device. This work focuses on the effect of processing and the effect of crystallization conditions over the crystallization kinetics of two PLAs: poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-l,d-lactic acid (PLDA). The cytocompatibility of PLLA and PLDA as a function of processing and crystalline degree has also been studied. It is observed that processing affects crystallization kinetics of PLA increasing the crystallization rate of PLLA and PLDA. Finally, crystallinity influenced cytocompatibility of polymeric surfaces, as the viability of human progenitor cells increased on surfaces with higher crystalline fraction.

subjects

  • Biology and Biomedicine

keywords

  • crystallization kinetics; cytocompatibility; extrusion; injection molding; polylactic acid