An Accelerated Wound‐Healing Surgical Suture Engineered with an Extracellular Matrix

Abstract

A suture is a ubiquitous medical device to hold wounded tissues together and support the healing process after surgery. Surgical sutures, having incomplete biocompatibility, often cause unwanted infections or serious secondary trauma to soft or fragile tissue. In this research, UV/ozone (UVO) irradiation or polystyrene sulfonate acid (PSS) dip‐coating is used to achieve a fibronectin (FN)‐coated absorbable suture system, in which the negatively charged moieties produced on the suture cause fibronectin to change from a soluble plasma form into a fibrous form, mimicking the actions of cellular fibronectin upon binding. The fibrous fibronectin coated on the suture can be exploited as an engineered interface to improve cellular migration and adhesion in the region around the wounded tissue while preventing the binding of infectious bacteria, thereby facilitating wound healing. Furthermore, the FN‐coated suture is found to be associated with a lower friction between the suture and the wounded tissue, thus minimizing the occurrence of secondary wounds during surgery. It is believed that this surface modification can be universally applied to most kinds of sutures currently in use, implying that it may be a novel way to develop a highly effective and safer suture system for clinical applications.

State-of-the-art review of advanced electrospun nanofiber yarn-based textiles for biomedical applications

“…Surgical sutures are widely used and indispensable medical materials for closing wounded tissues and supporting their healing process after surgeries in clinics [140] . Among various commercial sutures, the absorbable synthesized sutures, including PLLA, PGA, PLGA, PLCL, and PPDO, have aroused more attention than the unabsorbable sutures, such as silk, nylon, and polypropylene, due to their higher biocompatibility, controllable degradation rates and mechanical properties, and minimal postoperative treatments.…”

A review of current advancements for wound healing: Biomaterial applications and medical devices

“…259 Three dynamic phases that a wound healing process goes through (i.e., inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling) require the participation of fibroblasts. 261 At the late stage of inflammation and proliferation, fibrin clotting is inhibited by fibroblasts via the release of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), followed by ECM compound formation. 11 After the ECM is fully restored, the newly formed tissue regains its strength and function.…”

“…259 Thus, in the terms of suture surface modification, the reduction of the dynamic coefficient of friction is one of the most important factors to consider, to minimize scar formation and enhance wound healing. 261…”

“…To overcome this, lubricating a braided silk suture with chitosan not only reduced tissue drag, but the sliding speed of the sutures also improved 259 . Thus, in the terms of suture surface modification, the reduction of the dynamic coefficient of friction is one of the most important factors to consider, to minimize scar formation and enhance wound healing 261 …”

Soft Elastomeric Capacitor for Strain and Stress Monitoring on Sutured Skin Tissues

“…Cutaneous wound healing is a complex physiological process, and incision closure plays a significant role in the healing of a wound, − most typically promoted through the use of sutures. , The types of materials, needles, knots, and patterns used in suturing can affect the mechanical responses of skin tissues under dynamic motion, which could significantly affect the healing process. In the past decades, various methods have been studied analytically and experimentally to evaluate the mechanical properties of different suture patterns.…”