16 - The role of biopolymers and biodegradable polymeric dressings in managing chronic wounds

Abstract

Wound dressings are a significant part of the medical and pharmaceutical wound management market worldwide. Despite the wide range of products already available, chronic wounds are still a challenge to manage and accordingly attract a great deal of interest among the research community. An ideal wound dressing should achieve rapid healing at reasonable cost with minimal inconvenience to the patient. The selection of an appropriate dressing plays an important role in both recovery and aesthetic appearance of the regenerated tissue. Among the various wound dressing materials, biomaterial or natural/synthetic polymer–based dressing are gaining importance because of their unique properties. There are a multitude of polymer wound dressings in the market, all of which function to preserve hydration within the wound to optimise regeneration, protect against infection and avoid disruption of the wound base.