Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory PGCL fibers via polydopamine-assisted surface modification for absorbable sutures

Traditional sutures often lack functional bioactivity and could act as substrates for bacterial colonization, leading to surgical site infections, postoperative inflammation, and impaired wound healing. In this study, to develop a multifunctional suture with synergistic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, a dip-coating strategy was employed. Taking advantage of the universal adhesive properties of polydopamine (PDA), chitosan (CS) and ibuprofen (IBU) were immobilized onto poly(glycolide-co-caprolactone) fibers. Systematic characterization revealed that PDA loading enhanced the surface activity of the fibers and significantly improved their adhesive capacity. At an optimized CS/IBU ratio (2 wt%:2 wt%) and dual-coating cycle, the fibers exhibited excellent mechanical performance and achieved antibacterial rates of ≥99.99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Notably, the sutures exhibited sustained drug release and excellent cytocompatibility. This research provides a promising strategy for the development of absorbable, multifunctional sutures with integrated antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and controlled drug release capabilities.