Designing PLA / PHBV Implants With Degradation Matched to Normal or Inflammatory Tissues

ABSTRACT

Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) blends can be used for making biodegradable bone implants as their degradation kinetics can be modulated to align with tissue regeneration while maintaining mechanical integrity. This study investigates the hydrolytic degradation of PLA/PHBV blends in simulated physiological environments, encompassing normal tissue conditions (PBS, pH 7.2) and pathological microenvironments representative of postoperative inflammation (Saline, pH 3.2) or extreme local acidosis (acidified Hank's solution, pH 3.0). Multivariate statistical analysis with principal component analysis and semi‐empirical kinetic modeling was used to separate the effects of internal structural barriers and external environmental factors. The results reveal that degradation kinetics are governed non‐linearly by both material composition and solution properties. Water uptake, environmental acidity, and degradation time are identified as the primary extrinsic drivers, while glass transition temperature () and PLA crystallinity () function as the dominant structural barriers. Based on these findings, a semi‐empirical model was developed to characterize degradation behavior, providing a preliminary design framework for scaffolds that are predicted to maintain structural integrity during early healing (1–6 weeks) and potentially achieve full mass loss within 12–18 months. These predictions are model‐based hypotheses requiring long‐term experimental validation before clinical application.