| Abstract: | Tetrafunctional lactic acid oligomers with low molecular weight ethylene glycol cores were synthesized and characterized to assess their applicability to orthopaedics. Utilizing a visible light photoinitiating system, these oligomers polymerize within minutes to form highly crosslinked networks and, thus, have potential for in situ formation. Varying the oligomer structure readily alters the physical properties of the resultant polymer networks. For instance, mechanical properties were highly dependent on the number of lactic acid and ethylene glycol units in the oligomer backbone. Additionally, polymer mass loss ranged from ∼30 to 60% within 8 weeks of degradation time depending on the oligomer chemistry. Mechanical properties decreased with degradation of these polymers, indicating a bulk degradation mechanism. Finally, scaffolds with a controlled architecture were fabricated from these oligomers that show potential for tissue‐engineering applications. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 683–692, 2001 |
