Hydrogel Wound Dressings Accelerating Healing Process of Wounds in Movable Parts

Abstract

Skin is the largest organ in the human body and requires proper dressing to facilitate healing after an injury. Wounds on movable parts, such as the elbow, knee, wrist, and neck, usually undergo delayed and inefficient healing due to frequent movements. To better accommodate movable wounds, a variety of functional hydrogels have been successfully developed and used as flexible wound dressings. On the one hand, the mechanical properties, such as adhesion, stretchability, and self-healing, make these hydrogels suitable for mobile wounds and promote the healing process; on the other hand, the bioactivities, such as antibacterial and antioxidant performance, could further accelerate the wound healing process. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in hydrogel-based movable wound dressings and propose the challenges and perspectives of such dressings.