Method for the modification of a structural, surgical element of a bioabsorbable polymer

The physical properties of structural surgical elements, which are made from bioabsorbable materials having a glycolic ester linkage, can be controlled so that the rate of strenght loss and degradation in vivo is altered to achieve disintegration into fragments suitable for removal from or passage through the body without the need for waiting until the material is absorbed. This is achieved by a method of modifying the element through various chemical and/or physical treatments, preferably irradiation, or combinations thereof, with the result that the bioabsorbable structural surgical elements are made more controllable in their strenght loss and degradation pattern