An overview of medical textile materials

Medical textiles have been engineered with high interest in aiming for better health and quality of life. The development of medical textiles from the nano- to macroscale is driven by their biocompatibility, bioactivity, renewability, biodegradability and ease of utilization. For instance, these medical textile materials have been used for advanced biomedical applications such as wound dressing, tissue engineering, medical implants, regenerative medicine and controlled release. Different types, shapes and sizes of such materials, which are mainly extracted from nature, are discussed in this chapter. Medical textiles can be found in the shape of fibre, yarn or fabric, and they can be modified or coated using functional materials. In general, the impact of physical, chemical and functional properties of different medical textile materials (cellulose, keratin, chitin, chitosan, silk, collagen and alginate) is reviewed with respect to the intended biomedical applications.