Used primarily as a monomer in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers, particularly poly(1,4-dioxan-2-one), which is a component in absorbable surgical sutures. Its polymer exhibits good tensile strength and controlled degradation rates in the body, making it suitable for medical devices that require temporary structural support during tissue healing. Due to its hydrolytic degradation properties, it is also explored in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering scaffolds. Additionally, it serves as a building block in ring-opening polymerization processes to create aliphatic polyesters with tailored physical and chemical properties for biomedical applications.