An important component of tissue engineering (TE) is the supporting matrix upon which cells and tissues grow, also known as the scaffold. Scaffolds must easily integrate with host tissue and provide an excellent environment for cell growth and differentiation. Human amniotic membrane (hAM) is considered as a surgical waste without ethical issue, so it is a highly abundant, cost-effective, and readily available biomaterial. It has biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, adequate mechanical properties (permeability, stability, elasticity, flexibility, resorbability), and good cell adhesion. It exerts anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and antimutagenic properties and pain-relieving effects. It is also a source of growth factors, cytokines, and hAM cells with stem cell properties. This important source for scaffolding material has been widely studied and used in various areas of tissue repair: corneal repair, chronic wound treatment, genital reconstruction, tendon repair, microvascular reconstruction, nerve repair, and intraoral reconstruction. Depending on the targeted application, hAM has been used as a simple scaffold or seeded with various types of cells that are able to grow and differentiate. Thus, this natural biomaterial offers a wide range of applications in TE applications. Here, we review hAM properties as a biocompatible and degradable scaffold. Its use strategies (i.e., alone or combined with cells, cell seeding) and its degradation rate are also presented.

Objective: This study provides a comprehensive global overview of surgical instrument traceability systems and accentuates their growing importance in healthcare. Background: Surgical instruments pose risks to patient safety, economic costs, logistical challenges, and environmental impact. The increasing focus on instrument traceability reflects its potential to address these issues. Methods: We performed a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines, analyzing articles from 2000 to 2023 across five digital libraries (PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE, ACM, Google Scholar). Our review concentrated on traceability systems’ lifecycle for reusable and sterile surgical instruments. Results: Out of 7189 articles retrieved, 22 were selected for evaluation, and only 6 were considered relevant after a thorough examination. These studies mainly deployed Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. They enhance patient safety, reduce environmental impact, improve economic efficiency, and optimize logistics. Additionally, these systems encourage more responsible surgical practices. Conclusions: Our study underscores the limited applied research in this field and discusses system architectures and performance metrics. It proposes future research directions, including the development of public databases, integration of automation, and investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to improve traceability and risk analysis.