Impact Factor (2025): 6.9
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
The treatment of long-standing fractures is influenced by trauma,
resorption, and bone pathology. Additional issues arise with the use of
non-biodegradable metal implants, requiring additional procedures for removal,
increasing the risk of infection, complications, and prolonging recovery time.
The solution being studied is the use of biodegradable materials such as
Polylactic Acid (PLA) - Polycaprolactone (PCL) polymers for bone repair and
fixation, which can reduce the risk of complications and infection while
accelerating healing. This research aims to analyze the effect of PLA powder
percentage on the degradation rate of PCL mixtures using the solvent casting
method. The specimen preparation process in this study utilizes the solvent
casting method by mixing PLA and PCL using acetone as a solvent. The PLA-PCL
compositions used are 10 PLA: 90 PCL, 30 PLA: 70 PCL, and 50 PLA: 50 PCL. The
specimens are then characterized through density and degradation testing by
immersing them in a 0.9% NaCl infusion solution. The density testing results
indicate that the 50 PLA: 50 PCL composition has the highest density, at 0.97
g/cm³. In degradation testing, the 10 PLA: 90 PCL composition exhibits the
highest degradation rate, with a weight loss percentage of 22.01% in the fourth
week and a degradation rate of 0.0128 mmpy in the first week.
Country : Indonesia
IRJIET, Volume 8, Issue 5, May 2024 pp. 125-129