Figure 5.

Wound-healing effects of scaffold application. The effects of scaffolds are multiple and varied but can be broadly classified under three main groups: surface adaptation, immune modulation, and structural modification. Superficially, scaffolds can help maintain a moist environment, promoting healing while inhibiting bacterial contamination and biofilm formation. At the immune level, scaffolds have been shown to be able to modify the macrophage population, to reduce cytokine production, and to increase leucocyte migration. Finally, structurally, scaffolds can promote re-epithelization, enhance granulation tissue formation, and improve angiogenesis. The three categories illustrated aim at providing an overview of the effects of scaffold application. Undoubtedly, the response to implanted material is complex and depends on multiple factors beyond the physico-chemical, biomechanical, and immunogenic properties of the scaffold.