Adhesive Hydrogels in Orthopedic Therapy: Design Strategies, Functional Innovations, and Clinical Translation.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Orthopedic Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Musculoskeletal system disorders significantly impair quality of life.
• Adhesive hydrogels provide localized orthopedic treatment with improved biocompatibility and drug delivery.
• Current challenges include achieving optimal adhesion, mechanical matching, and tissue targeting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review adhesive hydrogel design, mechanisms, and orthopedic applications.
• To highlight strategies for overcoming hydrogel limitations in orthopedics.
• To explore the potential of smart hydrogels in precision orthopedic medicine.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of adhesive hydrogel literature.
• Analysis of innovative strategies: dynamic covalent bonds, stimuli-responsive networks, multifunctional hybridization.
• Examination of therapeutic applications in wound healing, bone repair, and spinal cord regeneration.

Main Results:

• Adhesive hydrogels enable precise tissue integration and microenvironmental modulation.
• Injectable and drug-eluting hydrogels offer minimally invasive delivery and reduced systemic toxicity.
• Advanced hydrogel strategies address infection control, tissue regeneration, and mechanical reinforcement.

Conclusions:

• Adhesive hydrogels are pivotal for localized orthopedic therapies, bridging biomechanical needs and biological regeneration.
• Interdisciplinary innovation in smart hydrogels is key to personalized orthopedic solutions.
• Further research is needed for scalability, long-term stability, and clinical translation.