Figure 1:

Schematic of intended function, metrics for clinical assessment, and failure modes for materials deployed in surgery. (a) Wound dressings often encounter minimal shrinkage of damaged tissue as quantified via epidermal wound closure. (b) Tissue adhesives fail due to a combination of bulk and interfacial modes as assessed via adhesion strength. (c) Surgical sealants are ineffective if low burst pressure values are presented in sealing of a defect. (d) Hemostats have limited utility if long clotting times and significant blood loss is encountered. (e) Adhesion barrier failure leads to post-operative scar tissue formation that can be quantified via a scoring rubric.