Lavanya Murugan
Independent Researcher
Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
Self-healing hydrogels represent a transformative class of biomaterials that can autonomously repair structural damage and maintain functional integrity under physiological conditions. These hydrogels have gained increasing attention for their potential in post-surgical drug delivery, offering targeted, sustained, and responsive release of therapeutic agents directly at the site of tissue trauma. Leveraging dynamic covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding, host-guest interactions, or hydrophobic associations, these materials exhibit mechanical resilience and adaptability suitable for the complex microenvironment of healing tissue. This paper explores the foundational chemistry behind self-healing hydrogel systems, their biocompatibility and degradation profiles, and their relevance in delivering anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs post-operatively. Through a detailed review of preclinical studies and in vitro data, we highlight the major synthetic strategies, assess drug encapsulation efficiency, and examine release kinetics in relation to polymer network design. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges that need to be addressed for clinical translation, including immune response modulation, scaling up production, and integrating bioresponsive triggers for intelligent release. This work establishes a comprehensive understanding of how self-healing hydrogels may revolutionize postoperative care by reducing infection risk, improving healing times, and minimizing the need for secondary interventions.
Keywords
Self-healing hydrogels, drug delivery, post-surgical healing, polymer networks, dynamic bonding, tissue regeneration
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