Traditional and advanced wound dressings: physical characterization and desirable properties for wound healing

Currently, the immediate treatment of chronic wounds (venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, and diabetic ulcers) is very critical for medical society since they can eventually become fatal. Nonetheless, the healing of chronic wounds is a complex, dynamic, continuous, and multistep process that requires a suitable treatment. Wound dressings play a vital role in the treatment of chronic nonhealing wounds. Recent advancements in wound healing field have led to different types of wound dressings instead of traditional wound dressings. In this chapter, it is aimed to report the progress of wound dressings from traditional to the current advanced dressings. Advanced wound dressings can be classified as the semipermeable films and foams, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, hydrofibers, composites, antimicrobial dressings, bioactive dressings, and tissue-engineered dressings. The characterization methods of these wound dressings include morphological examination, X-ray scattering techniques, thermal analysis, and spectroscopic techniques; mechanical, physical, and biological properties are also evaluated. An ideal wound dressing should cost-effectively treat wounds and be easily removed with minimal inconvenience for the patient. Finally, this chapter describes the different types of wounds, detailed physical characterization methods of wound dressings, and the properties of an ideal wound dressing.