Polylactide (PLA) has been Melt Spun to produce multifilament continuous yarns. The thermal characteristics of PLA filaments have been investigated using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). With MDSC, it is possible to separate the different thermal events and to analyze them more precisely. The influence of hot drawing on thermal properties of PLA filaments has been Studied. Hot drawing promotes all increase of glass transition temperature (T-g) and a decrease of heat capacity. The cold crystallization spreads oil a larger range of temperature and the peak occurs at a lower temperature. The initial degrees of cristallinity of PLA filaments have been calculated thanks to the reversing and non reversing curves of MDSC. Tensile properties of PLA filaments are also investigated. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.