Investigate the degradable behavior of a poly (glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate) suture material used in a vascular surgery

A copolymer of polyglycolide (PGA) and trimethylene carbonate (TMC) used to fabricate a surgical suture with a trade name Maxon was investigated. Mach–Zehnder interferometer equipped to a suture drawing device was used to measure the optical and mechanical properties of PGA/TMC copolymer. These properties were investigated for the degradable samples during the incubation periods from 4 to 32 days. The pH level of buffer solution, crystallinity percent, swelling rates percent and weight retention of a PGA/TMC copolymer were measured. The results indicate that there was an overall decreasing for the mechanical properties with increasing the incubation time. The PGA/TMC suture maintained approximately 55% from its original mechanical properties after 32 days of incubation. An empirical formula was calculated to simulate the effect of a degradation process on of PGA/TMC suture and predict Young’s modulus values during whole periods of degradation. It is found that the incubated sutures will be completely absorbed after approximately 8 weeks. Graphical abstract