Amino acid derivatives and absorbable polymers therefrom

A medical or surgical article, comprising a polymer formed from a monomer of formula N or V:

• wherein:
• R″ is selected from:
• alkyl, aryl, and arylalkyl-, wherein:
• (a) the alkyl moiety has from 1-36 carbon atoms;
• (b) one or more —CH2— groups of the alkyl moiety are replaced by —O—, —S—, or an ester group, wherein the ester group is selected from low molecular weight polyesters and polyethers;
• and,
• (c) the alkyl and aryl groups are optionally substituted with one or more lower alkyl groups;
• alternatively, R″ is a biologically active substance
• wherein the medical or surgical article is selected from:
• drug delivery systems, tissue adhesives, tissue engineering, bone wax formulations, stent coatings, stents, porous devices, implantable medical devices, molded articles, wound closure devices, coatings, fibers or filaments, ligatures, needles, films, knitted products, foodstuffs, nutritional supplements, nutriceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biodegradable chewing gums, flavors, controlled drug delivery systems, solvents for drugs, foams, orthopedic devices, surface modifying agents, wound and/or burn dressings or coverings, and degradable containers and packaging materials.