MANUFACTURING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOCOMPOSITES OF POLY (LACTIC ACID-CO-GLYCOLIC ACID) (PLGA) WITH BIOCERAMICS OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATES

Reference	Presenter	Authors (Institution)	Abstract
03-035	Thaianne Balestreri Knopf	Knopf, T.B.(Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina); Aragones, �.(Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina); Fredel, M.C.(Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina);	The poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) presents a great variety of applications in the biomedical area due to its rapid degradation rate, the products generated by their degradation are non-toxic and are metabolized by the body's natural processes. However, when used in pure form, these products render the acidic environment and may cause adverse reactions to the patient. In this way, many researches have sought to develop composites with these polymers and other materials that soften the effects of their degradation and can add better physical-chemical and mechanical properties to the implants. Calcium phosphates are one of the possible materials to be applied with polymers due to the fact that they generate a biological response similar to that generated during natural bone remodeling, its similarity to the bone composition, excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity. When inserted together with polymers, calcium phosphates enhance the activity of bone alkaline phosphatase, an important factor for the differentiation of osteoblasts, which dictates the process of regeneration within the body. In addition, the presence of the calcium phosphates ceramics modifies the pH around the host tissue, neutralizing the pH in the region, contributing to the reduction of the acidity from the polymer degradation products, and contributing to a more even liberation of the polymer fragments, decreasing adverse responses. In this work, plates for fracture fixation of bone were produced with a polymer matrix PLGA with mass combinations of 5 and 10% by weight of nano-hydroxyapatite bioceramics (n-HA), ?-tricalcium phosphate (?-TCP), calcium phosphate doped with strontium (Sr-Ca/P) and with magnesium (Mg-Ca/P), manufactured through the microinjection process. The analysis of the thermal, physical-chemical and mechanical properties of the raw materials and the composite is being carried out, evaluating the influence of the use of calcium phosphates in the biocomposite.
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