• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.42.1-42.1
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• 2010

Poly-carprolactone (PCL)은 생분해성 고분자로 장기간의 임상실험 결과 생체에 독성이 없으며 생체친화성이 우수한 소재로 확인되어 PLGA, PLLA 등과 더불어 조직공학 분야에서 널리 사용되고 있는 생체재료이다. 그러나 PCL은 5개의 비극성 methylene group과 1개의 극성 ester group이 반복되는 지방족의 polyester로 구조상 탄소수가 많아 소수성을 띄는 단점을 가지고 있다. 이러한 표면이 소수성인 재료의 경우, 초기 단백질 흡착능이 떨어져 세포의 부착이 느린 속도로 일어나므로 세포 분화 및 조직 재생이 더디게 일어난다. 본 연구에서는 소수성의 PCL 표면의 단백질 흡착능을 증가시키기 위해 기능성 amine group을 부착하였으며, 또한 골재생을 촉진시킬 수 있는 세포외 기질인 collagen과 osteopontin을 부착함으로써 고기능성 PCL membrane을 제조하였다. 제조된 PCL membrane은 골재생용 조직공학에의 응용을 위해 지방유래 줄기세포를 이용하여 부착능 및 골세포로의 분화능을 확인하였다. 표면 성질의 변화에 의한 세포의 부착능의 변화를 confocal microscopy을 이용하여 부착에 관여하는 단백질의 발현을 확인하였으며, collagen과 osteopontin에 의한 골세포로의 분화능을 확인하기 위해 real time PCR을 통해 골세포의 분화 표지 유전자의 발현을 비교 분석하였다.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.88-94
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• 2003

Purpose: Bioabsorbable screws are used to fix the syndesmotic injury of ankle because of no need for additional operation to remove it. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of polylevolactic acid (PLLA) screws of in the treatment of the syndesmotic injury of ankle. Materials and Methods: Eight patients of the syndesmotic injury of ankle with malleolar fracture were evaluated in this study. They were managed with plate and screw fixation for malleolar fracture and polylevolactic acid screw fixation for syndesmotic injury, followed by plaster splinting for 6 weeks. Clinical and radiographic evaluation were done and functional scores were assessed. Results: In all cases, malleolar fractures were healed without problematic widening of syndesmosis. There were no sinus tract formation and no wound complication. Of eight patients, five had excellent results and three had good results. Conclusion: We conclude that polylevolactic acid screw is good material for fixation of the syndesmotic injury of ankle.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.28-33
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• 2023

The conventional FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) manufacturing process used thermoset resins for ease of molding but faced the issue of non-recyclability. To address these shortcomings, a new process utilizing thermal plastic resin was developed. However, due to the high viscosity of thermal plastic resin, problems such as fiber deformation and a reduced fiber volume fraction occurred during the high-temperature, high-pressure process. In this study, to overcome the limitations of the conventional process, fiber-reinforced composite materials were manufactured through in-situ polymerization using PLA (Poly L-Lactide) resin in the VA-RTM (Vacuum Assistance Resin Transfer Molding) process. The fiber volume of the produced specimens was calculated, and resin impregnation and porosity were confirmed through optical microscopy. Additionally, molecular weight analysis using GPC (Gel Permission Chromatography) demonstrated improvements over the conventional process and emphasized the essential requirement of temperature control.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.559-564
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• 2006

According to the development of operation technique and biologic materials, oromaxillofacial surgery department have used many kinds of metal and biologic materials in ORIF and plastic surgery. In maxillofacial fracture, ORIF with metal plate and screw have short healing period and good prognosis. But ORIF with metal materials have many complications as maxillofacial abnormal growth, screw loosening, bone malunion. And metal materials have not used in infection site. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical value of 10 condylar fracture patients operated with absorbable screw at Wonkwang university. Ten patients(8 males, 2 female, mean aged 28) who had mandibular condyle process fracture treated with PLLA implants(poly-l-lactide) was recalled for follow-up clinical and radiologic examination for 10 years. Mouth opening recorvered to more than 35mm and occlusion was stable in all patients. All fractured mandibular condyles showed anatomic good reduction and long-term stability with the use of resorbable miniplates and screw. Bone healing was satisfactory in all patients, and there was no evidence of abnormal resorption of condylar process.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.704-710
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• 2008

Injectable hydrogels are quite promising materials due to their potential to minimize invasive implantation and this provides versatile fitness irrespective of the damaged regions and facilitates the incorporation of bioactive agents or cells. In situ gel formation through stereocomplex formation is a promising candidate for injectable hydrogels. In this paper, a new series of enantiomeric, four-arm, PEG-PLA block copolymers and their stereocomplexed hydrogels were prepared by bulk ring-opening polymerization of D-lactide and L-lactide, respectively, with stannous octoate as a catalyst. The prepared polymers were characterized by $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT IR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and thermal gravitational analysis (TGA), confirming the tailored structure and chain lengths. The swelling and degradation behavior of the hydrogels formed from a selected copolymer series were observed in different concentrations. The degradation rate decreased with increasing polymer content in the solution. The rheological behavior indicated that the prepared hydrogel underwent in situ gelation and had favorable mechanical strength. In addition, its feasibility as an injectable scaffold was evaluated using a media dependence test for cell culture. A Tris solution was more favorable for in situ gel formation than PBS and DMEM solutions were. These results demonstrated the in situ formation of hydrogel through the construction of a stereocomplex with enantiomeric, 4-arm, PEG-PLA copolymers. Overall, enantiomeric, 4-arm, PEG-PLA copolymers are a new species of stereocomplexed hydrogels that are suitable for further research into injectable hydrogels.

• Composites Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.371-378
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• 2018

In this study, the thermoelastic properties of poly lactic acid (PLA) based nanocomposites are predicted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and a micromechanics model. The stereocomplex mixed with L-lactic acid (PLLA) and D-lactic acid (PDLA) is modeled as matrix phase and a single walled carbon nanotube is embedded as reinforcement. The glass transition temperature, elastic moduli and thermal expansion coefficients of pure matrix and nanocomposites unit cells are predicted though ensemble simulations according to the hydrolysis. In micromechanics model, the double inclusion (D-I) model with a perfect interface condition is adopted to predict the properties of nanocomposites at the same composition. It is found that the stereocomplex nanocomposites show prominent improvement in thermal stability and interfacial adsorption regardless of the hydrolysis. Moreover, it is confirmed from the comparison of MD simulation results with those from the D-I model that the interface between CNT and the stereocomplex matrix is slightly weak in nature.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2014

Porous poly(L-lactic acid)(PLLA) scaffold membranes were prepared via. phase separation process. Chloroform, dichloromethane and 1,4-dioxane were used as solvent and, ethyl alcohol was used as non-solvent. Morphologies, mechanical properties and mass transfer characteristics of the scaffold membranes were investigated through SEM, stress-strain test and glucose diffusion test. The scaffold membranes obtained from the casting solutions with chloroform and with dichloromethane showed similar morphologies. They showed sponge-like porous structure with the pore size in the range of $3-10{\mu}m$ and, their porosities were in 50-80% range. Using 1,4-dioxane as solvent, nano-fibrous scaffold membranes with porosities over 80% were fabricated. When the polymer content in the solution with 1,4-dioxane was lowered to 4%, highly porous, macroporous and nano-fibrous scaffold membranes were obtained. The size of the macropore was tens of the microns and the porosity was around 90%. These results indicate that the solvent has significant effect on the scaffold membrane structure and, that scaffold membranes with various structures can be fabricated through phase separation method by choosing solvent and by controlling polymer concentration in the casting solution.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2023

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is the most promising polymer in additive manufacturing as an alternative to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Since it is produced from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar beets, it is also biocompatible and biodegradable. However, PLA has a couple of issues that limit its use. First, it has a comparatively low glass transition temperature of around 60 ℃, such that it exhibits low thermal resistance. Second, PLA has low impact strength because it is brittle. Due to these problems, scientists have found methods to improve the crystallinity and ductility of PLA. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most studied plasticizers for PLA to give it chain mobility. However, the blend of PLA and PEG becomes unstable, and phase separation occurs even at room temperature as PEG is self-crystallized. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the optimal mixing ratio of PLA-PEG at the molecular scale. In this study, molecular dynamics will be conducted with various ratios of L-type PLA (PLLA) or DL-type PLA-PEG (PDLA-PEG) systems by using BIOVIA Materials Studio.