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Over the past 30 years, there have been significant advances in the development of biodegradable materials [79]. In particular, these materials have received attention for use as implants to aid regeneration of orthopedic defects [49, 91]. Every year more than 3.1 million orthopedic surgeries are performed in the United States alone [1]. However, although current treatments using nondegradable fixation materials have proven efficacious, tissue-engineering approaches with biodegradable implants are being considered as promising future alternatives [8, 49]. One possible advantage of these systems is that biodegradable implants can be engineered to provide temporary support for bone fractures, and because they can degrade at a rate matching new tissue formation, their use can eliminate the need for a second surgery [49]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]