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Polyesters derived from the α-hydroxy acids, lactic acid, and glycolic acid, are the most common biodegradable polymers in clinical use. These polymers have been tailored for a range of applications that require a physical material possessing. The physical and mechanical properties of these polymers fit the specific application and also safely biodegrade. These polymers are hydrophobic and do not possess functional side groups. This does not allow hydrophilic or hydrophobic manipulation, conjugation of active agents along the polymer chain, etc. These manipulations have partly been achieved by block copolymerization with, for example, poly(ethylene glycol), to obtain an amphiphilic copolymer. The objective of this review is to survey PLA functional copolymers in which functional α-hydroxy acids derived from amino acids are introduced along the polymer chain, allowing endless manipulation of PLA …