8 - Role of scaffolds in wound care and management

Abstract

Wounds and trauma associated with them are inevitable parts of living beings. How they heal and the time taken for the total recovery to happen are the two most important aspects, which gave the board scope of scaffolds to perform and show the intended functions. Advancements in technology; nanotechnology and rapid prototyping brought new dimensions to wound management strategies by introducing 2D, 3D, and 4D scaffolds. These scaffolds not only perform the functions of wound coverage and management of exudates and infections but also shows their immense potential for managing wound microenvironment too. Recent research efforts all over the globe show the multi-dimensional approaches made in wound care and management with the help of natural and synthetic polymeric materials and devices made out of them. They are not only limited to films and hydrogels but also fiber matrices and 3D scaffolds with or without biological substances, drugs, and herbs. The current chapter is a culmination of the efforts made available in this contributory field, which shows the commendable potential of the respective strategies in wound care management by not only performing the requirements of the wound environment but also highlighting the efforts made in the smart strategies, like indicator dressings. Furthermore, it provides crucial information and the influence of nano interventions in the form of successful cell-based strategies, as well as the difficulty of moving these technologies as realistic alternatives to the existing technologies available.