Mp. Patel et al., HETEROCYCLIC METHACRYLATE-BASED DRUG-RELEASE POLYMER SYSTEM, Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine, 5(6-7), 1994, pp. 338-339
A heterocyclic methacrylate polymer system, developed originally as a
low shrinkage polymer system, has been investigated as a drug release
polymer and as a biomaterial for encouraging bone or cartilage regener
ation. The system is based on poly(ethyl methacrylate) polymer powder
mixed with tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate monomer and polymerized at
room temperature (PEM/THFM). Promising results have been obtained with
this biomaterial, and hence its water uptake properties were investig
ated in detail, in order to throw some light on the release processes
that are involved in vivo and in vitro. Water soluble large molecule a
nalogues were incorporated into the system; these additives increased
the water uptake of the system. Isobornyl methacrylate was used as a d
iluent for the monomer to further reduce the water uptake of the syste
m. In all cases the uptake kinetics did not obey simple diffusion theo
ry, the process being very prolonged and complex.