BIOPOLYMER FOR MAXILLOFACIAL REPAIR

IT IS PLANNED TO INVESTIGATE A BIOPOLYMERIC REPAIR MATERIAL FOR MAXILLOFACIAL REPAIR. BASED ON AN INDEPENDENT, INITIAL FEASIBILITY PROJECT, PHASE I EFFORTS WILL FORMULATE AND CHARACTERIZE THE COMPONENTS OF THIS NOVEL BIOPOLYMERIC MATERIAL. MECHANICAL TESTING AND IN VIVO EVALUATIONS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED. BASIC TO THIS BONE REPAIR MATERIAL IS A COMPOSITION CONTAINING THE BIOPOLYMER POLY(PROPYLENE FUMARATE), WHICH ISAN UNSATURATED CROSS-LINKABLE POLYMER MADE FROM FUMARIC ACID, ONE OF THE KREBS CYCLE ACIDS, AND POLYLENE GLYCOL, A COMMONLY USED DILUENT IN PARENTERAL DRUG FORMULATIONS. THISBIOPOLYMER, IN POWDERED FORM, IS USED TO INCORPORATE AN ADSORBABLE FILLER, SUCH AS A POWDERED CALCIUM PHOSPHATE OR PARTICULATE BONE. WHEN THE POWDERED BIOPOLYMER AND ADSORBABLE FILLER ARE HAND-BLENDED TOGETHER, ALONG WITH A SUITABLE CROSS-LINKING AGENT, A USEFUL BONE REPAIR "PUTTY," OR GROUT, RESULTS. THIS HAND-WORKABLE BONE GROUT SOLIDIFIES IN 15 MINUTES AT PHYSIOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES WITH VIRTUALLY NO OBSERVABLE HEAT OF REACTION AND HAS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES SUITABLE FOR THE INTENDED APPLICATION. FUTHER, CONTROLLED-RELEASE ANTIBIOTICS AND GROWTH FACTORS MAY BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS FORMULATION WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF BEING RELEASED IN A PREDESIGNED MANNER.