Spatiotemporal characterization of hydration process of asymmetric polymeric wound dressings for decubitus ulcers

Pressure ulcers belong to the most chalenging clinical problems. As hydration level of such wounds is important for optimal healing, preparation of new wound dressing (WD) materials for pressure ulcers requires thorough in vitro evaluation as prerequisite to final in vivo testing. The aims of the study were to: (a) develop a simple method of preparation of asymmetric polymeric membrane, (b) to propose a set of in vitro methods for membrane characterization during hydration. A polyvinyl alcohol asymmetric membrane with homogeneous skin layer and porous spongy layer was developed with nonadhesive properties and ability to absorb and retain the water. Complementary methods, including magnetic resonance imaging, allowed quantitative assessment of spatiotemporal aspects of membrane hydration, that is, global water uptake; swelling; local hydration in terms of proton density mapping; spatial distribution of T₂ relaxation time; Young's modulus; piercing resistance. The proposed method of initial wound dressing evaluation seems to be promising to compare various WD formulations, to assess the time required to prepare WD membrane to be applied to the wound and to assess how long WD retains desired working properties. The developed asymmetric membrane seems to be a good candidate for further evaluation. It was found that: Young's modulus of hydrated membrane was comparable to those of human skin; asymmetrical structure was retained during the entire hydration period; each layer had its own distinct, hydration related, properties and their spatiotemporal evolution; relatively slow changes of membrane properties during the potential WD application time-span of several hours was observed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 843-853, 2018.