Advances of Textiles in Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
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the magnitude of accidents causing burn is very high thus a very high requirement
of artificial skins [64].
The most important features of scaffold for skin regeneration are mechanical
stability and elasticity. The use of fibrous structures enables the promotion of angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) by mechanical stimulation in vivo [28].
Researchers have employed knitted fabrics structures by warp knitting of PLGA as a
reinforcement. This resulted in increased mechanical stability of scaffold and inhibited wound contraction, effectively promoted cell infiltration, neotissue formation
and blood vessel ingrowth in animal study model with mechanical strength up to
75% of normal skin. Stark et al. reinforced collagen hydrogels by hyaluronic acid
fibers and seeded with skin fibroblasts to form a dermis scaffold. This scaffold showed
improved architecture and stability, which provided the basis for skin regeneration
and homeostasis [65].
7.3 Textile Scaffolds as Wound Dressings
Break or cut of any tissue can be defined as wound. Skin wound management is
one of the earliest medical activities of humans. With advancement in biological and
material science more technologies have emerged in past centuries decade for treating various types of wounds [66]. The market size ($28.7 billion in 2013) of wound
management products forces the boost new development in this field. An ideal wound
dressing material should be (i) oxygen permeable (ii) maintaining moist environment;
(iii) absorbing exuding liquids; (iv) biocompatible and non-allergenic; (v) inhibit the
growth of micro-organisms; (vi) able to provide proper stimulation and growth factors
during different stages of wound healing; (vii) have suitable mechanical properties
to maintain conformal contact between the dressing and the wound preventing any
potential discomfort. Because of oxygen permeable microstructure which has ability
to absorb exudates, textile materials have been widely used as wound care material.
The textile materials can be scaled up for the use in wounds with various sizes. The
textile system has the ability to alter its mechanical properties as per the generated
construct is another advantage allows fabrication of dressing to maintain their contact with wound alongwith flexibility and elasticity. Traditionally cotton, polyester,
silk, PGA and polyurethanes are the materials used in textile materials in the form
of gauze and bandages in medical field. The conventional wound dressing materials
show permeability to air and exudates providing support to the wound during healing. Hemostatic properties can be imparted in textiles textile based wound dressing
materials by incorporation of suitable reagents or applying mechanical force to physically close the wound. These conventional textiles material has few limitations such
as they are fail to maintain moisture and prevent bacterial growth in wound area. To
counter this problem fibres or fabrics can be treated with anti-microbial agents [67].
Bio-textile has been used in dressing for wound management since years which is a
promising substrate in the field of advanced wound healing applications. Bio-textile
in combinations with advanced biomaterials, drug delivery and fibre based electronic
187
the magnitude of accidents causing burn is very high thus a very high requirement
of artificial skins [64].
The most important features of scaffold for skin regeneration are mechanical
stability and elasticity. The use of fibrous structures enables the promotion of angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) by mechanical stimulation in vivo [28].
Researchers have employed knitted fabrics structures by warp knitting of PLGA as a
reinforcement. This resulted in increased mechanical stability of scaffold and inhibited wound contraction, effectively promoted cell infiltration, neotissue formation
and blood vessel ingrowth in animal study model with mechanical strength up to
75% of normal skin. Stark et al. reinforced collagen hydrogels by hyaluronic acid
fibers and seeded with skin fibroblasts to form a dermis scaffold. This scaffold showed
improved architecture and stability, which provided the basis for skin regeneration
and homeostasis [65].
7.3 Textile Scaffolds as Wound Dressings
Break or cut of any tissue can be defined as wound. Skin wound management is
one of the earliest medical activities of humans. With advancement in biological and
material science more technologies have emerged in past centuries decade for treating various types of wounds [66]. The market size ($28.7 billion in 2013) of wound
management products forces the boost new development in this field. An ideal wound
dressing material should be (i) oxygen permeable (ii) maintaining moist environment;
(iii) absorbing exuding liquids; (iv) biocompatible and non-allergenic; (v) inhibit the
growth of micro-organisms; (vi) able to provide proper stimulation and growth factors
during different stages of wound healing; (vii) have suitable mechanical properties
to maintain conformal contact between the dressing and the wound preventing any
potential discomfort. Because of oxygen permeable microstructure which has ability
to absorb exudates, textile materials have been widely used as wound care material.
The textile materials can be scaled up for the use in wounds with various sizes. The
textile system has the ability to alter its mechanical properties as per the generated
construct is another advantage allows fabrication of dressing to maintain their contact with wound alongwith flexibility and elasticity. Traditionally cotton, polyester,
silk, PGA and polyurethanes are the materials used in textile materials in the form
of gauze and bandages in medical field. The conventional wound dressing materials
show permeability to air and exudates providing support to the wound during healing. Hemostatic properties can be imparted in textiles textile based wound dressing
materials by incorporation of suitable reagents or applying mechanical force to physically close the wound. These conventional textiles material has few limitations such
as they are fail to maintain moisture and prevent bacterial growth in wound area. To
counter this problem fibres or fabrics can be treated with anti-microbial agents [67].
Bio-textile has been used in dressing for wound management since years which is a
promising substrate in the field of advanced wound healing applications. Bio-textile
in combinations with advanced biomaterials, drug delivery and fibre based electronic