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Review
. 2022 Feb 27;14(5):951.
doi: 10.3390/polym14050951.

Special Features of Polyester-Based Materials for Medical Applications

Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță  1 , Maria Râpă  2 , Stanisław Frąckowiak  3
Affiliations
Review

Special Features of Polyester-Based Materials for Medical Applications

Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

This article presents current possibilities of using polyester-based materials in hard and soft tissue engineering, wound dressings, surgical implants, vascular reconstructive surgery, ophthalmology, and other medical applications. The review summarizes the recent literature on the key features of processing methods and potential suitable combinations of polyester-based materials with improved physicochemical and biological properties that meet the specific requirements for selected medical fields. The polyester materials used in multiresistant infection prevention, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as aspects covering environmental concerns, current risks and limitations, and potential future directions are also addressed. Depending on the different features of polyester types, as well as their specific medical applications, it can be generally estimated that 25-50% polyesters are used in the medical field, while an increase of at least 20% has been achieved since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The remaining percentage is provided by other types of natural or synthetic polymers; i.e., 25% polyolefins in personal protection equipment (PPE).

Keywords: COVID-19; biomaterial; medical applications; polyesters; processing methods; properties; risks.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
General requirements for the design of polyester-based materials for medical applications.
Figure 2
Figure 2
In-reactor engineering of bioactive aliphatic polyesters. Reproduced from [31] with permission from Elsevier.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PLGA/PLGA-b-PEG microspheres obtained by interfacial instability of emulsion for bone adhesion in rabbit. Reproduced from [62] with permission from Elsevier.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of an electrospinning device, showing the formation of the Taylor cone. Reproduced from [129] with permission from Elsevier.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Examples of tissue injuries and primary functions of tissue adhesives. Reprinted with permission from [142]. Copyright 2021 American Chemical Society.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Schematic representation of the functionalization of PP mesh with PCL electrospun nanofiber monomer copolymerization. Reproduced from [160] with permission from Elsevier.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic representation of the application of an mPEG–PLA thermogel as a temporary embolic agent for TAE. The aqueous mPEG–PLA solution containing iopamidol transformed from a free-flowing liquid at low temperatures to a gel when increasing the temperature (reversible sol-gel transition). Reproduced with permission from Elsevier [186].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Composition of polymers in the selected commercially available PPE [261]. Reproduced with permission from Elsevier.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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