To address the challenges in wound healing, clinical management increasingly demands targeted, adaptive, responsive, and patient-centered strategies. This is especially true for wounds characterized by delayed healing and a high risk of infection. Advances in regenerative medicine and biomaterial technologies are fostering the development of multifunctional approaches that integrate tissue regeneration, antibacterial/antibiofilm activity, immunomodulation, and real-time monitoring. This paper surveys emerging platforms, including both natural and synthetic scaffolds, hydrogels enriched with platelet-derived growth factors, glycosaminoglycan mimetics, bioactive peptides (such as GHK-Cu and antimicrobial peptides), nanoscaffolds, and stimuli-responsive systems. The paper also explores cutting-edge technologies such as water-powered, electronics-free dressings that deliver localized electrical stimulation; biodegradable bioelectric sutures that produce self-sustained mechano-electrical signals; and sensory bandages that monitor pH, moisture, temperature, and bacterial contamination in real-time while enabling on-demand drug release with pro-regenerative, antibacterial, and other therapeutic functionalities. Further therapeutic approaches include natural matrices, exosomes, gene editing, 3D bioprinting, and AI-assisted design. Particular attention is paid to orthopedic applications and orthopedic implant infection. A brief section addresses the still unresolved challenge of articular cartilage regeneration. Interdisciplinary innovation, integrating insights from molecular biology through engineering, plays a central role in translating novel strategies into tailored, clinically effective wound management solutions.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent form of arthropathy, is characterized by progressive degradation of cartilage, synovial inflammation, and other pathological changes that gradually affect the entire joint. Once regarded as a purely degenerative disease with minimal immune involvement, recent evidence reveals that chronic low-grade inflammation, insidiously fueled by the destructive crosstalk between cartilage and synovium, plays a key role in OA pathophysiology. Among the immune cells involved, eosinophils have emerged as unexpected yet significant contributors, exhibiting both pro-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. Traditionally associated with allergic responses and antiparasitic defense, eosinophils can also secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines along with specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) that promote macrophage polarization toward reparative M2 phenotypes. Eosinophils may sustain inflammation or, conversely, act as “silent modulators” that subtly shape the immune microenvironment and support tissue homeostasis. This immunological plasticity positions them at the intersection of joint damage and repair. This article explores emerging evidence on eosinophil activity in OA, emphasizing their dual nature and potential as therapeutic targets to shift the joint milieu from a pro-inflammatory state toward resolution. Understanding eosinophil-mediated pathways may pave the way for novel strategies to reduce synovial inflammation, preserve cartilage integrity, and improve clinical outcomes.

Most information on amyloid deposits occurring in joints with osteoarthritis (OA) focuses on cartilage and chondrocytes. The aim of this study was to inves

Background. Polymicrobial post-surgical infections represent a clinically relevant component of orthopedic surgical infections and occur across a broad range of clinical settings, including implant-associated, surgical site, spinal, surgical oncology, and fracture-related infections. Objective. To characterize the epidemiological and clinical features of polymicrobial post-surgical infections across different settings and investigate their prognostic significance. Methods. A structured literature search was conducted using a scoping review-informed approach. Additional references were identified through reference-list screening and expert-informed selection. Evidence was synthesized narratively, integrating clinical, epidemiological, microbiological, and mechanistic perspectives. Results. Polymicrobial infections occur particularly in complex clinical scenarios involving foreign material, extensive tissue damage, complex reconstructive procedures, severe trauma, impaired host defenses, and compromised tissue perfusion, all of which can create opportunities for co-colonization by multiple microorganisms. Reported frequencies vary across populations, anatomical sites, surgical procedures, infection timing, microbial composition, and diagnostic methods. The microbiological spectrum is diverse, with Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Enterococcus spp., Gram-negative bacteria, and anaerobes among the most commonly reported pathogens. Evidence on outcomes is heterogeneous: some cohorts associate polymicrobial infection with treatment failure, whereas others do not identify it as an independent risk factor. Conclusions. Polymicrobial post-surgical orthopedic infection may be regarded both as a marker of clinical and surgical complexity and, in selected settings, as a potential contributor to adverse outcomes. Its prognostic significance should therefore be interpreted within the clinical context and in light of the specific characteristics of each infection. The review also explores the potential of phytochemicals in interfering with interspecies communication and counteracting polymicrobial biofilms.