title: Bone-plates and screws of bioabsorbable poly (L-lactide)--an animal pilot study.
abstract: Poly (L-lactide), a polymer of lactic acid (PLLA), with an extremely high molecular weight (Mv up to 1 x 10(6] has been synthesised under strictly controlled conditions resulting in a new microporous material with excellent mechanical properties. Bone-plates and screws machined from PLLA were used for fixation of two artificial mandibular fractures in sheep effected by a specially designed bone clamp. Fracture healing was uneventful without visible callus formation. Plates and screws of PLLA gave good stability over a sufficiently long period to enable normal fracture healing. Application in humans seems to be justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Rozema
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boering
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nijenhuis
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pennings
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004867:Equipment Design; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation; D006253:Haversian System / Q000473:pathology; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011091:Polyesters; D012756:Sheep; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C033616:poly(lactide)