SBIR Phase I: Development of High Strength Polymers for Utilization as Biodegradable Fracture Fixation Devices in Bone Repair

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发高强度可生物降解聚合物，其机械性能足以在高承载应用中用作骨折固定器械。 今天大多数骨折都是用金属器械固定的，但为了防止骨萎缩，这些骨折可能需要在骨愈合后进行第二次手术以取出器械。 通过使用可再吸收的生物降解装置，消除了对第二次外科手术的需要。 此时，可商购的生物可降解装置不具有用于高承载应用的足够机械强度。 先前的工作已经表明，一类新的合成的，可降解的聚合物衍生自酪氨酸，可能是有用的骨修复。 第一阶段的目标是对这些生物材料进行结构改性，并证明改性后的结构具有最佳的力学性能和降解速率，该项目的商业应用是在骨科领域。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop high strength biodegradable polymers with mechanical properties sufficient to function as fracture fixation devices in high load bearing applications. The majority of fractures today are fixed with metallic devices but to prevent bone atrophy, these may require a second surgery to remove the device after bone healing has occurred. By using resorbing biodegradable devices, the need for the second surgical procedure is eliminated. At this time, commercially available biodegradable devices do not have sufficient mechanical strength for high load bearing applications. Prior work has shown that a new class of synthetic, degradable polymers derived from tyrosine, may be useful in bone repair. The objective of this Phase I project is to structurally modify these biomaterials and demonstrate that the modified structures posses an optimal combination of mechanical properties and degradation rate.The commercial application of this project is in the area of orthopedics.