Biomaterials for Surgical Sutures and Wound Healing
Summary
Surgical sutures and wound-healing materials have evolved from passive mechanical supports to multifunctional systems that actively promote tissue repair. Contemporary biomaterials encompass a broad spectrum of natural and synthetic polymers engineered to balance tensile strength, flexibility and controlled degradation. Natural polymers such as chitosan and collagen offer intrinsic biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity and haemostatic properties, while synthetic polymers—including polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone—provide reproducible mechanical performance and predictable resorption profiles. Advances in fabrication techniques, notably electrospinning and three-dimensional printing, enable the creation of matrices and fibres with tailored porosity and drug-eluting capabilities. These platforms may release anti-inflammatory, antibacterial or growth-promoting agents directly at the wound site, reducing infection risk and accelerating tissue regeneration. In parallel, intelligent materials with shape-memory or stimuli-responsive properties hold promise for minimally invasive procedures and dynamic wound care. The integration of bioactive cues, controlled degradation and bespoke mechanical design underpins next-generation sutures and dressings that address global challenges in surgical site infection, chronic wounds and resource-limited settings.
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Biomaterials for Surgical Sutures and Wound Healing publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biomaterials for surgical sutures and wound healing across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biocompatible: Property of a material being compatible with living tissue without eliciting an adverse response.
Biodegradable: Capability of a material to break down into non-toxic components within a biological environment.
Absorbable suture: Suture designed to lose tensile strength and be resorbed by the body over time, obviating removal.
Electrospinning: Technique that uses an electric field to draw charged polymer solutions into ultrafine fibres.
Nanofibre: Fibre with diameters in the nanometre range, offering high surface-area-to-volume ratio for drug delivery.
References
- Applications of Chitosan in Surgical and Post-Surgical Materials. Marine Drugs (2022).
- Applications of Electrospun Drug-Eluting Nanofibers in Wound Healing: Current and Future Perspectives. Polymers (2022).
- Berberine-Incorporated Shape Memory Fiber Applied as a Novel Surgical Suture. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2020).
- Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(lactic acid)-Based Biopolymer for Surgical Sutures. ChemEngineering (2023).
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