Manufacture Dependent Differential Biodegradation of 3D Printed Shape Memory Polymers.

In the field of tissue engineering, 3D printed shape memory polymers (SMPs) are drawing increased interest. Understanding how these 3D printed SMPs degrade is critical for their use in the clinic, as small changes in material properties can significantly change how they behave after implantation. Degradation of 3D printed acrylated poly(glycerol-dodecanedioate) (APGD) was examined via hydrolytic, enzymatic, and subcutaneous implantation assays. Three APGD manufacturing modalities were assessed to determine differences in degradation. Material extrusion samples showed significantly larger mass and volume loss at 2 months, compared to lasercut and vat photopolymerization samples, under both enzymatic and degradation. Critically, melt transition temperatures of degraded PGD increased over time , but not . Histology of tissue surrounding APGD implants showed no significant signs of inflammation compared to controls, providing a promising outlook for use of 3D printed APGD devices in the clinic.