{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T13:05:23Z","timestamp":1789391123248,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]],"date-time":"2026-09-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789257600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int. J. Mol. Sci.","IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Conformability of advanced dressings is a key parameter to evaluate their ability to adapt to the complex shape of the wound, which promotes its healing and prevents the formation of gaps at the wound interface, which, in turn, may favour microbial proliferation. However, conformability is normally measured by evaluating the mechanical properties of dressings and frequently under dry conditions, failing to evaluate the behaviour in clinical conditions, where the wound is normally characterized by large volumes of exudate. New methods are under study for its evaluation, but they generally require complex experimental procedures or specialized equipment. Here, we validate a simple and inexpensive method proposed for conformability characterization by testing its application to a variety of dressings, differing in composition and type of absorbing layer. We test the impact of different volumes of exudate-simulating solution and the impact of dressing size on the results. In addition, we implement the test by simultaneously evaluating other parameters (time of absorption, lateral spreading of the solution) that impact wound healing. Finally, we validate the test by demonstrating its capability to predict adaptability of complex wound shapes in specifically developed wound-mimicking models. Our results show that the test can be applied to all tested dressings, successfully highlighting differences in conformability and demonstrating high reproducibility. We demonstrate that conformability can largely vary between different dressings but is not affected by either dressing size or exudate volume, whereas lateral spreading and time of absorption can be significantly affected by both parameters. Finally, we demonstrate that the tests succeed in predicting adaptability to wounds of complex shape in tissue models; hence it is suitable for a simple and cost-effective measure of conformability.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27188149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T12:09:51Z","timestamp":1789387791000},"page":"8149","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["New Facile Testing Protocols to Assess Conformability of Advanced Dressings for Wound Healing"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9358-1566","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniele","family":"Ghezzi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2837-5977","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriela","family":"Graziani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Sciences and Life Quality Promotion Department, San Raffaele Rome University, 00166 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1960","DOI":"10.1111\/iwj.14056","article-title":"Mechanical and contact characteristics of foam materials within wound dressings: Theoretical and practical considerations in treatment","volume":"20","author":"Gefen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. Wound J."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3467","DOI":"10.1111\/iwj.14217","article-title":"Clinical performance characteristics for bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds: An international wound dressing technology expert panel review","volume":"20","author":"Santamaria","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. Wound J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Expert Working Group, and Satellite Expert Working Group (2008). Wound exudate and the role of dressings. A consensus document. Int. Wound J., 5, iii-12.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1742-481X.2008.00439.x"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122073","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpharm.2022.122073","article-title":"BioFiber: An advanced fibrous textured dressing to manage exudate in severe wounds","volume":"625","author":"Tottoli","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Pharm."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"045007","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-605X\/ab16b8","article-title":"Antimicrobial wound dressings with high mechanical conformability prepared through thiol-yne click photopolymerization reaction","volume":"14","author":"Rabiee","year":"2019","journal-title":"Biomed. Mater."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110998","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msec.2020.110998","article-title":"Nanodecoration of electrospun polymeric fibers with nanostructured silver coatings by ionized jet deposition for antibacterial tissues","volume":"113","author":"Pagnotta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. C Mater. Biol. Appl."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"McElvain, K., Klister, J., Ebben, A., Gopalakrishnan, S., and Dabagh, M. (2022). Impact of Wound Dressing on Mechanotransduction within Tissues of Chronic Wounds. Biomedicines, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines10123080"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1186\/s40824-016-0063-5","article-title":"Physical, morphological, and wound healing properties of a polyurethane foam-film dressing","volume":"20","author":"Lee","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biomater. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1089\/wound.2016.0709","article-title":"Mechanical Forces in Cutaneous Wound Healing: Emerging Therapies to Minimize Scar Formation","volume":"7","author":"Barnes","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adv. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"898","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2025.0356","article-title":"An innovative, highly conformable, mesh-free healing matrix dressing: Results of a clinical trial","volume":"34","author":"Meaume","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"(2003). Test Methods for Primary Wound Dressings\u2014Part 4: Conformability (Standard No. BS EN 13726-4:2003)."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1089\/wound.2021.0173","article-title":"How Should Clinical Wound Care and Management Translate to Effective Engineering Standard Testing Requirements from Foam Dressings? Mapping the Existing Gaps and Needs","volume":"13","author":"Gefen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14787","DOI":"10.1111\/iwj.14787","article-title":"Little news is good news? What is missing in the recently published EN 13726:2023 test standard for wound dressings","volume":"21","author":"Nygren","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. Wound J."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"777","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.332.7544.777","article-title":"Wound dressings","volume":"332","author":"Jones","year":"2006","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.7603\/s40681-015-0022-9","article-title":"Wound dressings\u2014A review","volume":"5","author":"Dhivya","year":"2015","journal-title":"Biomedicine"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2011.20.Sup1.4","article-title":"Evidence-based dressing selection","volume":"20","author":"White","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1089\/wound.2014.0586","article-title":"Choosing a Wound Dressing Based on Common Wound Characteristics","volume":"5","author":"Dabiri","year":"2016","journal-title":"Adv. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtv.2015.01.001","article-title":"The biomechanical efficacy of dressings in preventing heel ulcers","volume":"24","author":"Levy","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Tissue Viability"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14674","DOI":"10.1111\/iwj.14674","article-title":"Fluid handling by foam wound dressings: From engineering theory to advanced laboratory performance evaluations","volume":"21","author":"Gefen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. Wound J."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2024.33.5.312","article-title":"Defining wound bed conformability: A new testing methodology to assess the relative swelling rise of foam dressings","volume":"33","author":"Brennan","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"(2002). Test Methods for Primary Wound Dressings\u2014Part 1: Aspects of Absorbency (Standard No. BS EN 13726-1:2002)."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Molecular Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/27\/18\/8149\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T12:24:49Z","timestamp":1789388689000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/27\/18\/8149"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"18","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ijms27188149"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms27188149","relation":{},"ISSN":["1422-0067"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1422-0067","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]]}}}