Biodegradation of Composite Materials Consisting of High Strength Polymeric Fibers for the Development of Artificial Ligament

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1.For the development of artifical ligament, we designed composite threads consisting of nylon or polyester yarn as the core and two spirally cross-wound Twaron yarns as the sheath. Immersion and fatigue tests in a saline solution as well as implantation under rat skin were performed on the composite threads. The results showed that PET500 composed of 500 turns of wound Twaron yarns per meter with polyester as the core yarn has a possibility for the design of an artificial ligament.2.More detailed studies on PET500 were done by the fatigue test in a cholesterol-lipid solution and the in vivo fatigue test with the material implanted between the patella and tibia in the rabbit. Both tests showed that the in vitro and in vivo cyclic deformation decreased strength and elongation, but did not change stiffness.3.Cytotoxicity of PET500 was not detected.4.Then, 20-28 strands of the composite PET500 were twisted to fabricate a candidate of an artificial ligament, and their tensile properties were studied. Their strength and stiffness were larger than those of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to evaluate the candidate material.