Download PDF
CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2014; 41(06): 638-646
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2014.41.6.638
Original Article

Bio-Conjugated Polycaprolactone Membranes: A Novel Wound Dressing

Elijah Zhengyang Cai  
Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Erin Yiling Teo  
Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children Hospital, Singapore
,
Lim Jing
Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
,
Yun Pei Koh
Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Tan Si Qian
Centre for Biomedical Materials Applications and Technology (BIOMAT), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
,
Feng Wen
Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
,
James Wai Kit Lee
Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Eileen Chor Hoong Hing
Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Yan Lin Yap
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Hanjing Lee
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Chuen Neng Lee
Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Division of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Swee-Hin Teoh
Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
,
Jane Lim
Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
,
Thiam Chye Lim
Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Background The combination of polycaprolactone and hyaluronic acid creates an ideal environment for wound healing. Hyaluronic acid maintains a moist wound environment and accelerates the in-growth of granulation tissue. Polycaprolactone has excellent mechanical strength, limits inflammation and is biocompatible. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of bio-conjugated polycaprolactone membranes (BPM) as a wound dressing.

Methods 16 New Zealand white rabbits were sedated and local anaesthesia was administered. Two 3.0×3.0 cm full-thickness wounds were created on the dorsum of each rabbit, between the lowest rib and the pelvic bone. The wounds were dressed with either BPM (n=12) or Mepitel (n=12) (control), a polyamide-silicon wound dressing. These were evaluated macroscopically on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th postoperative days for granulation, re-epithelialization, infection, and wound size, and histologically for epidermal and dermal regeneration.

Results Both groups showed a comparable extent of granulation and re-epithelialization. No signs of infection were observed. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in wound size between the two groups. BPM (n=6): 8.33 cm2, 4.90 cm2, 3.12 cm2, 1.84 cm2; Mepitel (n=6): 10.29 cm2, 5.53 cm2, 3.63 cm2, 2.02 cm2; at the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th postoperative days. The extents of epidermal and dermal regeneration were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusions BPM is comparable to Mepitel as a safe and efficacious wound dressing.

Keywords

Skin - Wounds - Hyaluronic acid - Polycaprolactone - Rabbit

*These authors contributed equally to this work.


This work is funded by the Ministry of Education, Academic Research Fund (Tier 1), R265-000-343-112.


This article was presented (oral presentation) during the 3rd World Congress for Plastic Surgeons of Chinese Descent, Xi An, China on October 2012.


We would like to acknowledge the following organizations for providing the facilities and resources necessary for conducting the study: 1. Centre for Biomedical Materials Applications and Technology (BIOMAT), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2. Osteopore International Pte Ltd, Singapore.




Publication History

Received: 29 June 2014

Accepted: 03 August 2014

Article published online:
05 May 2022

© 2014. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • References

  • 1 Pontieri-Lewis V. Principles for selecting the right wound dressing. Medsurg Nurs 1999; 8: 267-270
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Teo EY, Ong SY, Chong MS. et al. Polycaprolactone-based fused deposition modeled mesh for delivery of antibacterial agents to infected wounds. Biomaterials 2011; 32: 279-287
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Hutmacher DW. Scaffolds in tissue engineering bone and cartilage. Biomaterials 2000; 21: 2529-2543
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Chen WY, Abatangelo G. Functions of hyaluronan in wound repair. Wound Repair Regen 1999; 7: 79-89
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Tiaw KS, Teoh SH, Chen R. et al. Processing methods of ultrathin poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films for tissue engineering applications. Biomacromolecules 2007; 8: 807-816
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Chong MS, Chan J, Choolani M. et al. Development of cell-selective films for layered co-culturing of vascular progenitor cells. Biomaterials 2009; 30: 2241-2251
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Ng KW, Achuth HN, Moochhala S. et al. In vivo evaluation of an ultra-thin polycaprolactone film as a wound dressing. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 2007; 18: 925-938
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Gopinath D, Kumar MS, Selvaraj D. et al. Pexiganan-incorporated collagen matrices for infected wound-healing processes in rat. J Biomed Mater Res A 2005; 73: 320-331
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Noorjahan SE, Sastry TP. An in vivo study of hydrogels based on physiologically clotted fibrin-gelatin composites as wound-dressing materials. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 2004; 71: 305-312
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 10 Jones V, Harding K. Moist wound healing. In: Krasner DL, Rodeheaver GT, Sibbald RG. Chronic wound care: a clinical source book for healthcare professionals. Wayne, PA: HMP Communications; 2001: 245-252
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 11 Hanna JR, Giacopelli JA. A review of wound healing and wound dressing products. J Foot Ankle Surg 1997; 36: 2-14
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 White R, Morris C. Mepitel: a non-adherent wound dressing with Safetac technology. Br J Nurs 2009; 18: 58-64
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Campanella SD, Rapley P, Ramelet AS. A randomised controlled pilot study comparing Mepitel((R)) and SurfaSoft ((R)) on paediatric donor sites treated with Recell((R)). Burns 2011; 37: 1334-1342
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Deved M, Sengezer M, Kopal C. Use of Mepitel on grafted areas in burn patients. Ann Burns Fire Disasters 1999; 12: 103-106
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 15 Longaker MT, Chiu ES, Adzick NS. et al. Studies in fetal wound healing. V. A prolonged presence of hyaluronic acid characterizes fetal wound fluid. Ann Surg 1991; 213: 292-296
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Toole BP, Knudson CB, Munaim SI. et al. Hyaluronate-cell interactions and regulation of hyaluronate synthesis during embryonic limb development. In: Abatangelo C. Cutaneous development, aging and repair. Padova: Liviana Press; 1988: 138-145
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 17 Campbell BG. Current concepts and materials in wound bandaging. Proc North Am Vet Conf 2004; 18: 1217-1219
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 18 McCarty MF. Glucosamine for wound healing. Med Hypotheses 1996; 47: 273-275
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Hutmacher DW. Scaffold design and fabrication technologies for engineering tissues--state of the art and future perspectives. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 2001; 12: 107-124
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 White R, Cutting KF. Modern exudate management: a review of wound treatments [Internet]. World Wide Wounds; 2001. [cited 2014 Sep 17]. Available from: http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2006/september/White/Modern-Exudate-Mgt.html
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 21 World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS). Principles of best practice: Wound exudate and the role of dressings. A consensus document. London: MEP Ltd.; 2007
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 22 Woodruff MA, Hutmacher DW. The return of a forgotten polymer-Polycaprolactone in the 21st century. Prog Polym Sci 2010; 35: 1217-1256
    CrossrefSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Chong BF, Blank LM, McLaughlin R. et al. Microbial hyaluronic acid production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2005; 66: 341-351
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Ford DA, Koehler SH. A creative process for reinforcing aseptic technique practices. AORN J 2001; 73: 446-450
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Woodruff MA, Hutmacher DW. The return of a forgotten polymer-Polycaprolactone in the 21st century. Progress in Polymer Science 2010; 35: 1217-1256
    CrossrefSearch in Google Scholar