Hydrogel-mesh composite for wound closure.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surgical Innovation
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Surgical mesh is essential for tissue repair but often fixed with sutures/staples, causing stress and damage.
• Existing meshes lack inherent tissue adhesion, limiting their functional scope.
• Need for advanced surgical materials that integrate seamlessly with tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize hydrogel-mesh composites (HMCs) as an advanced surgical mesh.
• To demonstrate the adhesive properties and mechanical advantages of HMCs over conventional methods.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo performance of HMCs for wound closure applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of HMCs by macro-topologically entangling a hydrogel precursor with a surgical mesh (polyethylene terephthalate).
• Utilizing a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/chitosan hydrogel for tissue covalent bonding via a bioconjugation agent.
• Assessing adhesion energy, force distribution, and performance in in vitro wound closure models and in vivo sheep surgeries.

Main Results:

• HMCs exhibit strong tissue adhesion ( > 100 J·m⁻²) through covalent bonding.
• The hydrogel component provides stable adhesion at body temperature due to PNIPAAm's hydrophobic transition.
• HMCs demonstrated superior force distribution compared to sutured mesh, reducing stress concentration.
• Successful in vitro and in vivo evaluation on dynamic living tissues.

Conclusions:

• Hydrogel-mesh composites represent a significant advancement in surgical mesh technology.
• HMCs offer enhanced tissue integration and mechanical performance, overcoming limitations of traditional fixation methods.
• This novel material holds promise for improved wound closure, particularly in high-stress areas.