SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 October 1979
STP35937S

Some Observations on the Role of Cellular Enzymes in the Degradation of Polymers

Source

The in vivo and in vitro degradation of some suture materials, especially polyglycolic acid sutures, has been studied in an attempt to determine whether cellular enzymes have any influence on the degradation of polymers. The test protocols included a novel method for varying the type of tissue response to a material so that the in-vivo behavior of the material under different conditions could be followed.

It has been found that the hydrolysis of polyglycolic acid takes place by essentially the same mechanism in vivo and in vitro—that is, by hydrolysis in an aqueous environment—but that the initiation of this process is greatly enhanced by the in-vivo environment. The cells of an acute response to implant material appear to favor hydrolysis slightly more than do cells of a chronic response. A similar but more significant difference in tissue environmental effect is noted with the use of polyamide sutures, but the situation is reversed when silk sutures are used; then the chronic inflammatory cells have a greater effect on the suture materials than do the acute inflammatory cells.

Author Information

Williams, DF
School of Dental Surgery, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England
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Developed by Committee: F04
Pages: 61–75
DOI: 10.1520/STP35937S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4751-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0313-9