Wound Dressing Based on Silica Gel Fibers

The wounds can be treated with conventional collagen dressings orpolylactic acid dressings, but the success rate is not as good as itshould be. A new type of dressing made of silica gel fibers, developedby scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC inWürzburg, shall solve the problem.

This novel dressing has manyadvantages: it is shape-stable, pH-neutral and 100 percentbioresorbable. Once applied it remains in the body, where it graduallydegrades without leaving any residues. What's more, the fibre fleeceprovides the healthy cells around the edges of the wound with thestructure they additionally need for a proper supply ofgrowth-supporting nutrients. To prevent any infection, treatment of thewound must be absolutely sterile. "As only the outer bandage needs tobe changed, the risk of contaminating the wound is low," explains Dr.Jörn Probst of the ISC. And thanks to the supporting matrix for thecells, the chances of a scar-free natural closure of the wound are verygood.

Source: medgadget.comAdded: 4 June 2008