Sprayable Hydrogel Dressings in Wound-Healing Applications

Abstract

With an increased number of chronic wounds and accidents worldwide, the need for advanced wound care approaches has been urgent. In this regard, sprayable hydrogel dressings have emerged as an innovative biomaterial due to their unique rheological properties, minimally invasive operation capabilities, excellent adaptability to irregular surfaces, and in situ rapid gelation. This review focused on elaborating the main materials used to construct sprayable hydrogels, including natural polymers and synthetic polymers, and discussing their respective molecular structures, physicochemical properties, advantages, and challenges in formulation design. This review also explored the properties of sprayable hydrogels, including sprayability, adhesion performance, mechanical strength, moisture absorption, breathability, biocompatibility, and degradability. The mechanisms of their controllable gelation through chemical crosslinking and physical crosslinking strategies were analyzed. Subsequently, the applications of sprayable hydrogels in wound areas, including diabetic wounds, infected wounds, postoperative adhesions, burn wounds, and joint wounds, were comprehensively reviewed. The challenges and future developments in wound healing were clarified to provide valuable references for promoting interdisciplinary research and the clinical translation of sprayable hydrogels.