Owing to their low toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability, aliphatic poly(carbonate)s have been widely studied as materials for biomedical application. Furthermore, the synthetic versatility of the six-membered cyclic carbonates for the realization of functional degradable polymers by ring-opening polymerisation has driven wider interest in this area. In this review, the synthesis and ring-opening polymerisation of functional cyclic carbonates that have been reported in the literature in the past decade are discussed. Finally, the post-polymerisation modification methods that have been applied to the resulting homopolymers and copolymers and the application of the materials are also discussed.