Medical devices intended for implantation must be, in accordance with the legal provisions in force in the European Union, sterile. The effect of sterilization on the structural and thermal properties of implants, made by 3D printing from biodegradable polylactide and hydroxyapatite in a proportion of 9/1 by weight, was evaluated. The implants were sterilized using three different methods, i.e., steam sterilization, ethylene oxide sterilization, and electron beam radiation sterilization. As a result of the assessment of the structural properties of the implants after sterilization, a change in the molecular weight of the raw material of the designed implants was found after each of the performed sterilization methods, while maintaining similar characteristics of the thermal properties and functional groups present.
Keywords: 3D printing; biodegradable implant; hydroxyapatite; polylactide; sterilization.