Effect of Degradation in Small Intestinal Fluids on Mechanical Properties of Polycaprolactone and Poly-l-lactide-co-caprolactone

Abstract

Polycaprolactone and poly-l-lactide-co-caprolactone are promising degradable biomaterials for many medical applications. Their mechanical properties, especially a low elastic modulus, make them particularly interesting for implantable devices and scaffolds that target soft tissues like the small intestine. However, the specific environment and mechanical loading in the intestinal lumen pose harsh boundary conditions on the design of these devices, and little is known about the degradation of those mechanical properties in small intestinal fluids. Here, we perform tensile tests on injection molded samples of both polymers during in vitro degradation of up to 70 days in human intestinal fluids. We report on yield stress, Young’s modulus, elongation at break and viscoelastic parameters describing both materials at regular time steps during the degradation. These characteristics are bench-marked against degradation studies of the same materials in other media. As a result, we offer time dependent mechanical properties that can be readily used for the development of medical devices that operate in the small intestine.