Preparation of collagen-based materials for wound dressing

Objective To describe the methods which were used to develop collagen-based materials for wound dressing. Methods Fresh frozen bovine tendon was treated with 0.05 mol/L acetic acid at pH 3.2 for 48-72 hours, homogenized, filtered, mixed with 8% chondroitin sulphate, for creating a deaerated 1.5%-2.5% collagen solution. The solution was lyophilized in either a pre-frozen or non-pre-frozen mould. The collagen sponge was then cross-linked with 0.25% glutaraldehyde for 24 hours. Three other types of wound dressings were developed using a similar method: collagen membrane with a polyurethane membrane onlay, polyurethane-coated collagen membrane and collagen membrane on gauze. Results It was demonstrated that the use of frozen bovine tendon was stable, and that the prepared collagen sponge contained pores of 50-400 μm in diameter. Conclusions Collagen could be used as wound dressing.