Table 1.

Brief summary of the advantages and disadvantages of selected synthetic polymers.

Polymer	Advantages	Disadvantages
Polylactic acid	Slow degradation	Hydrophobicity limits cell attachment without modification
	Currently used in several biomedical applications	Brittle
Polyglycolic acid	High strength and crystallinity Current use in biomedical applications such as sutures	Rapid degradation (within several weeks) severely limits potential use in TEVG without combining with other polymers
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid	Tunable mechanical properties and degradation rates by adjusting lactide: glycolide ratio	Relatively fast degradation (up to 6 months) which can be sped up by sterilization and enzymatic degradation
	Current use in biomedical applications including sutures and meshes	Undergoes bulk erosion which impacts mechanical properties
Polycaprolactone	Slow degradation	Hydrophobic character limits cell attachment and proliferation
	Great mechanical properties including strength and elasticity	Mismatched mechanical properties poses a potential issue
Poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone)	Tunable mechanical properties by adjusting co-polymer ratio Slow degradation Stiffness comparable to native vessels More hydrophilic than its co-polymers	Several blends are metastable and can undergo drastic changes in mechanical properties In vivo studies showed a loss of mechanical properties after 6 months which could be improved with thicker grafts
Polyurethanes	Tunable properties based on chosen soft and hard segments Capable of replicating the J-shaped response seen in the stress-strain curves of native vessels	Potential biostability issues depending on PU used