A review of wound dressing materials and its fabrication methods: emphasis on three-dimensional printed dressings

Abstract

A wound is a trauma caused by some adverse external or blunt forces that can damage the body tissues. Wound healing is a complex process that occurs post-injury which involves the revamping of the structure and function of damaged tissues. Scaffolds are engineered tissue structures manufactured using different materials and methods for facilitating the wound healing process. For external wounds, the antimicrobial property and ability to absorb moisture play an important role in the material selection of the scaffold. Among different methods that exist for designing scaffolds, three-dimensional printing has emerged as a promising technique wherein customised scaffolds can be designed. However, the literature on three-dimensional printed dressings is very much limited compared to conventional ones. Therefore, this review specifically focuses on the methods used to design the scaffolds with special emphasis on different three-dimensional printing techniques. It covers the process of external wound healing, different materials used in the fabrication of scaffolds, and their advantages and drawbacks.

Keywords:

• Computer-aided design
• dressings
• biomaterials
• wound
• wound healing

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr.Guruprakash Subbiahdoss, Institute of Biologically inspired materials, Department of NanoBiotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 11-II, 1190, Vienna, Austria for guiding us throughout the review and Dr. Shanmugam, M.B.B.S, MS (General Surgeon), and Government Royapettah Hospital, Chennai for providing us images related to different types of wounds.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).