Emerging materials and technologies for advancing bioresorbable surgical meshes

Behzad Shiroud Heidari, Jagan Mohan Dodda, Labiba K. El-Khordagui, Maria Letizia Focarete, Peter Maroti, Luca Toth, Serafina Pacilio, Salma E. El-Habashy, Joshua Boateng, Ovidio Catanzano, Nitin Sahai, Lingjun Mou, Minghao Zheng

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Surgical meshes play a significant role in the treatment of various medical conditions, such as hernias, pelvic floor issues, guided bone regeneration, and wound healing. To date, commercial surgical meshes are typically made of non-absorbable synthetic polymers, notably polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene, which are associated with postoperative complications, such as infections. Biological meshes, based on native tissues, have been employed to overcome such complications, though mechanical strength has been a main disadvantage. The right balance in mechanical and biological performances has been achieved by the advent of bioresorbable meshes. Despite improvements, recurrence of clinical complications associated with surgical meshes raises significant concerns regarding the technical adequacy of current materials and designs, pointing to a crucial need for further development. To this end, current research focuses on the design of meshes capable of biomimicking native tissue and facilitating the healing process without post-operative complications. Researchers are actively investigating advanced bioresorbable materials, both synthetic polymers and natural biopolymers, while also exploring the performance of therapeutic agents, surface modification methods and advanced manufacturing technologies such as 4D printing. This review seeks to evaluate emerging biomaterials and technologies for enhancing the performance and clinical applicability of the next-generation surgical meshes.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-21
Number of pages21
JournalActa Biomaterialia
Volume184
Early online date29 Jul 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

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