In vitro and in vivo properties study of a novel 3D-printed absorbable pancreaticojejunostomy device made by melting blended poly(p-dioxanone)/poly(lactic acid)

Abstract Poly (p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) were melt blended to prepare PPDO/PLA blends in this study, and 3D printing technology was used to prepare personalized pancreaticojejunostomy devices. By testing the degradation properties, mechanical properties, thermal stability, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and cell adhesion in vitro and in vivo, a suitable ratio of PPDO/PLA was selected as the material for the pancreaticojejunostomy device. The results show that the pancreaticojejunostomy device can be fabricated by PPDO/PLA blends using fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing. As the proportion of PPDO increases, its degradation rate gradually increases, and its hydrophilicity improves, which is more conducive to cell adhesion and proliferation, while its mechanical properties gradually decrease. However, compared with soft tissues, it can still provide longer-term support strength to avoid early anastomotic stenosis. The mass loss rate in vivo was significantly faster than that in vitro, and the degradation rate of 50% PPDO/PLA at 3 months was 46.04 ± 5.79%. With the absorption and metabolism of the degradation products, there is no obvious toxic to the important organs in the body. Therefore, 50% PPDO/PLA has a suitable degradation time, mechanical properties, and good biocompatibility and has great application potential in manufacturing 3D pancreaticojejunostomy devices.