Plasma treated and untreated thermoplastic biopolymers/biocomposites in tissue engineering and biodegradable implants

Abstract

Abstract Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are very promising thermoplastic biopolymers/biomaterials. Both of these biopolymers are explored as tissue engineering materials and biodegradable implants due to their high biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. PLA and PHAs have good tensile properties (~50\xa0MPa) with low elongation (~2%) at break. Pristine PLA and PHAs as well as their composites are widely used in biomedical engineering. However, surface modification of PLA and PHAs through plasma treatments are being undertaken to fit the requirements of various fields in biomedical engineering. Plasma-assisted surface modification offers a suitable strategy for incorporating reactive functional groups on polyester surfaces. Without the use of a solvent, reactive functional groups are efficiently introduced onto the surface without altering the bulk properties of the polymer. The devices made from these biopolymers can be implanted in human beings without necessitating a second surgery to remove the device. Biocompatible tissues made from PLA and PHAs could be employed to replace damaged or diseased tissues in reconstructive surgery. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to review the properties and applications of pristine as well as plasma treated PLA and PHAs in tissue engineering and biodegradable implants.