Design Considerations, Formulation Approaches, and Strategic Advances of Hydrogel Platforms for Tendinopathy Management

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Tendinopathy is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by severe pain that may persist for weeks or months, often resulting in disability. Existing treatments primarily consist of conservative interventions, including rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, localized corticosteroid injections, ultrasound, bracing, and stem cell-based therapies, as well as surgical procedures. However, therapeutic outcomes remain unsatisfactory. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective strategies in tendinopathy management. As a bioengineered material, the hydrogel has been extensively studied for the treatment of tendinopathy due to its stable physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, degradability, mechanical robustness, injectability, and stimuli-responsive drug delivery capability. Based on the anatomical structure of tendons and therapeutic requirements during disease progression, hydrogels can be designed into various formulations, such as scaffolds, patches, sprays, microspheres, and injectable systems, depending on the raw materials, crosslinking methods, sizes, and morphological configuration. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathophysiological process involved in tendon healing and summarizes the considerations in the design of hydrogels in tendinopathy treatment. It emphasizes the therapeutic applications and stimuli-responsive properties

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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