Water security and industrial wastewater treatment are significant global concerns. One of the main issues with environmental contamination has been the discharge of dye wastewater from the textile and dye industries, contributing to an ever-growing problem with water pollution, poisoning water supplies, and harming the ecosystem. The traditional approach to wastewater treatment has been found to be inefficient, and biosorption techniques and mechanisms have been proven to be a successful replacement for conventional methods. Recent developments have led to the recognition of fibrous materials as an environmentally friendly option with broad application in several industries, including wastewater treatment. This review explores the potential of fibrous materials produced by the electrospinning technique as adsorbents for wastewater treatment, while at the same time, for the removal of adsorbates such as oil, dyes, heavy metals, and other substances, as reported in the literature. Textile wastewater filtering structures, produced by electrospinning, are summarized and the use of synthetic and natural polymers for this purpose is discussed. The limitations of electrospun textile wastewater filtering structures are also mentioned. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes appear to be a very promising route to filter textile wastewater and therefore contribute to water reuse and to reducing the contamination of water courses.

Tendon and ligament traumatic injuries are among the most common diagnosed musculoskeletal problems. Such injuries limit joint mobility, reduce musculoskeletal performance, and most importantly, lower people’s comfort. Currently, there are various treatments that are used to treat this type of injury, from surgical to conservative treatments. However, they’re not entirely effective, as reinjures are frequent and, in some cases, fail to re-establish the lost functionality. Tissue engineering (TE) approaches aim to overcome these disadvantages by stimulating the regeneration and formation of artificial structures that resemble the original tissue. Fabrication and design of artificial fibrous scaffolds with tailored mechanical properties are crucial for restoring the mechanical function of the tissues. Recently, polymeric nanofibers produced by wetspinning have been largely investigated to mimic, repair, and replace the damaged tissue. Wetspun fibrous structures are extensively used due to their exceptional properties, such as the ability to mimic the native tissue, their biodegradability and biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties. In this review, the tendon and ligament structure and biomechanics are presented. Then, promising wetspun multifunctional fibrous structures based on biopolymers, more specifically polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polyethylenes, will be discussed, as well as reinforcing agents such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), nanoparticles, and growth factors.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries pose significant challenges, driving the need for innovative repair strategies. Tissue engineering (TE) has emerged as a promising field for ACL injuries. Wet spinning is a filament production technique that enables precise control over filament alignment, diameter, and porosity, making it suitable for developing new scaffolds for ACL injuries. This study develops fibrous scaffolds using wet spinning of polycaprolactone (PCL) reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) to enhance mechanical properties. Wet spinning was employed to fabricate fibrous scaffolds, utilizing PCL as the primary polymer due to its favorable biocompatibility and degradability. An automated collector was developed and optimized, which allowed the stretching of the PCL filaments to diameters as low as 30 µm. Several filaments were explored and characterized using SEM, TGA, and mechanical tests. The optimized PCL/CNC filaments were used to develop 3D braided structures that mimic ACL structure. The combination of wet-spun PCL/CNC filaments (with an optimized stirring method) and the braiding procedure allowed for fully biocompatible scaffolds that mimic both the structure and the mechanical properties of native ACL. Cytotoxicity and biocompatibility tests showed cell viability and proliferation values above 99% and 81%, respectively. These findings underscore the potential of CNC-reinforced PCL scaffolds as promising candidates for ACL repair, laying the groundwork for future biomedical applications.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) consists of partial or complete damage to the organ’s functions. Injuries can be traumatic or non-traumatic. New investigations have pointed out different paths in terms of spinal cord regeneration. Among these, the use of scaffolds has grown, structures created based on biomaterials and synthetic materials, aimed at remodelling the injured area, promoting tissue growth, regenerating damaged axons, and vascularizing the affected region. This work developed a fibrous scaffold using a vertical braider to produce Maypole structures from Polyamide 6 fibres, known for their strong mechanical properties, 3D architecture, and porosity, which support cell growth. The scaffold structures were evaluated based on porosity, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability under compression. Among the tested models, the T2/A8B40/E16B50 structure demonstrated superior performance, withstanding a tensile strength of 1,674 N, surpassing other samples. Its external layer of 16 yarns (0.50 mm) and internal layer of 0.40 mm yarns provided greater rigidity and load-bearing capacity. It also showed high elastic recovery (96.47%) after 10 compression cycles, maintaining excellent recovery despite its high load capacity. With 50.7% porosity and 49.3% coverage, the T2/A8B40/E16B50 scaffold balanced mechanical strength with permeability, making it the most promising candidate for SCI treatment and future implant testing.