CMN 2026

A degradative-erosive integrated framework for computing the evolution of porosity and mechanical properties under dynamic conditions in bioresorbable polymeric scaffolds.

  • Abdelfatah Ndioubnane, Jacob (ULPGC)
  • Paz Hernández, Rubén (ULPGC)
  • Monzón Verona, Mario (ULPGC)
  • Winter Althaus, Gabriel (ULPGC)

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Degradative and erosive mechanisms of erosive polymers have a notorious effect on the evolution of mechanical behavior of the polymeric materials through the cleavage of the polymeric chains into shorter chains. Bioresorbable polymeric materials are widely used for tissue engineering devices, particularly for osteochondral implants such as scaffolds. There are numerous models that proved the aforementioned changes in both erosive, and degradative behavior of bioresorbable scaffolds, primarily under static conditions [1]. However, there is a only a few that focuses on the behavior under in vitro dynamic conditions, focusing mainly on the degradative part mechanism instead of the erosive one. In this work, an extension of a novel robust probabilistic-deterministic numerical model [2] developed in FreeFem++ is presented to simultaneously predict the evolution of internal properties of the material through the degradation process, and the variation on the morphology through the surface erosion mechanism. Furthermore, to validate the erosion mechanism, a porosity function is described, in order to compare the results with the experimental data [3]. In order to gain more stability in the methodology, a Fictitious Domain Technique was used. A dedicated mechanical prediction module is incorporated to the previous framework to evaluate the evolving structural response of the polymer. The local elastic modulus is updated as a function of the molecular‑weight reduction, using constitutive relationships derived from hydrolytic damage theory and entropy‑spring models for amorphous polymers. The resulting framework provides an integrated numerical approach capable of linking chemical degradation, morphological evolution, and mechanical performance in biodegradable polymeric devices.