Table 1.

Summary of different polymeric families’ applications, advantages, disadvantages, degradation rate and structure.

Polymer	Applications	Advantages	Disadvantages	λ, Degradation Rate Constant (s−1)	Structure
Polyphosphazenes	Tissue Engineering Vaccine Adjuvant	Synthetic Flexibility Controllable Mechanical Properties	Complex Synthesis	4.5 × 10−2 −1.4 × 10−7 Ref. 776,13
Polyanhydrides	Drug Delivery Tissue Engineering	Significant Monomer Flexibility Controllable Degradation Rates	Low Molecular Weights Week Mechanical Properties	1.9 × 10−3 − 9.4 × 10−9 Ref. 17,777
Polyacetals	Drug Delivery	Mild pH Degradation Products pH Sensitive Degradation	Low Molecular Weights Complex Synthesis	6.4 × 10−5 Ref. 17
Poly(ortho esters)	Drug Delivery	Controllable Degradation Rates pH Sensitive Degradation	Week Mechanical Properties Complex Synthesis	4.8 × 10−5 Ref. 17
Polyphosphoesters	Drug Delivery Tissue Engineering	Biomolecule Compatibility Highly Biocompatible Degradation Products	Complex Synthesis	1.4 × 10−6 Ref. 778,779
Polycaprolactone	Tissue Engineering	Highly Processable Many Commercial Vendors Available	Limited Degradation	3.5 × 10−8 Ref. 17
Polyurethanes	Prostheses Tissue Engineering	Mechanically Strong Handle Physical Stresses Well	Limited Degradation Require Copolymerization with Other Polymers	8.3 × 10−9 Ref. 780
Polylactide	Tissue Engineering Drug Delivery	Highly Processable Many Commercial Vendors Available	Limited Degradation Highly Acidic Degradation Products	6.6 × 10−9 Ref. 17
Polycarbonates	Drug Delivery Tissue Engineering Fixators	Chemistry-Dependent Mechanical Properties Surface Eroding	Limited Degradation Require Copolymerization with Other Polymers	4.1 × 10−10 Ref. 285
Polyamides	Drug Delivery	Conjugatable Side Group Highly Biocompatible Degradation Products	Very Limited Degradation Charge Induced Toxicity	2.6 × 10−13 Ref. 17