Overview on the applications of biodegradable polymers: (a) use of the polymers for local or targeted and controlled/sustained drug/gene delivery; (b) degradable polymers as bone and dental regeneration scaffolds; (c) degradable anterior cervical plate – polymeric spine implant; (d) degradable polymeric stents available in clinical use: 1, DESolve (Elixir, CA, USA); 2, IDEAl II (Xenogenics Corporation, MA, USA); (e) degradable polymers as scaffold for skin and vascular tissue regeneration. Part (a) reproduced with permission from Prajapati et al.1 (Elsevier); parts (b) and (e) reproduced with permission from Anju et al.2 (Elsevier); part (c) reproduced with permission from Vaccaro et al.3 (Elsevier); part (d) reproduced with permission from Park et al.4 (Elsevier)