Tuning the properties of surgical polymeric materials for improved soft-tissue wound closure and healing

Effective wound management is important, as millions of people suffer traumatic injuries and surgical operations annually. Proper wound closure is essential for the structural and functional restoration of damaged tissues. In addition to conventional sutures, various advanced surgical materials with multiple functions have been developed for more reliable and improved wound healing performance in the past few years. Here, polymeric surgical materials for soft tissue wound closure are comprehensively reviewed, including both commercially available materials and newly developed materials. These materials, based on natural, synthetic or composite polymers, are classified and discussed as invasive and non-invasive surgical materials. Their properties (antibacterial, hemostatic, stimuli-responsive, drug delivery, or a combination thereof) are critically analysed in the context of improving wound healing. Moreover, how to tune these properties (e.g., chemical grafting of antibacterial moieties, nano-enabled regulation of hemostasis, dual stimuli-responsive design, etc.) are clearly discussed. Finally, challenges in the field and potential solutions to tackle them are also proposed. This review should inspire more research efforts to develop the next generation of promising surgical polymeric materials for clinical applications.