Surgical adhesives: Systematic review of the main types and development forecast

Due to several advantages over traditional approaches (e.g. sutures and staples), surgical adhesives are excellent materials for wound closure. For several decades intensive research activities have been carried out to enhance the efficiency of the adhesives in different tissues and application conditions. This article provides a concise literature review of different types of adhesives in order to understand their structure-properties relationship. Some of the most important commercial adhesives available are presented and discussed in terms of limitations and applications. The recent advances reported in the literature that could provide new avenues to the development of more efficient adhesives inspired in nature strategies are also discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.