TOTALLY BIOABSORBABLE COMPOSITE BONE FIXATION DEVICE

BIOABSORBABLE POLYMERS HAVE RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION FOR MAKING INTERNAL FRACTURE FIXATION DEVICES; HOWEVER, THEIR MECHANICAL PORPERTIES, PARTICULARLY MODULUS ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR LONG BONE FIXATION. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND STILL PRESERVE THE BENEFITS OF BIODEGRADABILITY AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF THE POLYMER, THE CONCEPT OF A TOTAL BIOABSORBABLE FIBER-REINFORCE COMPOSITE WAS RECENTLY INTRODUCED. HOWEVER, SYSTEMS REPORTED TO DATE CONTAINING BIODEGRADABLE IN ORGANIC FIBERS GENERALLY LOST SUBSTANTIAL STRENGTH WITHIN A FEW DAYS, SUGGESTING THE ONGOING DIFFICULTY OF COUPLING SUCH FIBERS TO DEGRADABLE POLYMERS. THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT OF SURFACE MODIFICATION FOR IMPROVING THE INTERFACIAL BONDING BETWEEN THE REINFORCED ABSORBABLE FIBERS AND MATRIX IN A TOTALLY ABSORBABLE COMPOSITE BONE FIXATION DEVICE. THIS SURFACE TREATMENT CAN ALSO RETARD THE HYDROLYTIC DEGRADATION RATE OF THE REINFORCING FIBERS AND THEIR MATRIX. SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED TO SOLVE THE MAJOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY CURRENTLY ENCOUNTERED IN TOTALLY ABSORBABLE COMPOSITE BONE PLATES.