Castor oil-citric acid copolyester for tissue augmentation

Biodegrable polyesters derived from hydroxy acids have a broad clinical use. The aim of the study was to synthesize polymer compositions based on citric acid and castor oil for use as soft tissue augmentation. Two polymers were synthesized, a branched viscous polyester with a monomer ratio of 93.5:6.5 w/w and an apparent molecular weight of 11,000Da and a crosslinked semisolid polymer with a monomer ratio of 92.5:7.5 w/w. The branched polymer lost less than 10% of its weight during a 30-day degradation study. In vivo biocompatibility study in rats showed 20% formulation weight loss 9months post-subcutaneous administration. These results were in accordance with the in vitro hydrolytic degradation of the polymer. The in vivo study revealed good tolerability of the copolymer. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.