Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-Based Wet-Adhesive Absorbable Bone Wax for Osseous Hemostasis and Repair

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

Traditional bone wax often cannot be absorbed and shows biological inertia, which can lead to foreign-body retention, delayed bone healing, and increased infection risk. A PEG-based absorbable wet-adhesive bone wax was prepared by one-pot blending PEG, tannic acid, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and low-molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid. PEG provides matrix plasticity and hydrophilicity, TA supplies strong adhesion, and hydrogen-bond interactions supported by CMC and PLLA reinforce water-stable attachment. The formulation reaches 27.07 kPa adhesion and maintains bonding on pig bone for 6.0 h in aqueous media, dissolving only at the surface after 24 h while preserving the core; porcine sternum implantation shows hemostatic performance comparable to nonabsorbable bone wax and promotes improved bone repair with a reduced infection rate.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Limitations of traditional bone wax

Rationale for absorbable bone wax

Composition and performance considerations for PEG-based designs

Article Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-Based Wet-Adhesive Absorbable Bone Wax for Osseous Hemostasis and Repair Huiqiang Cheng , Aiping Yang, Guoyu Lv, Heng Zheng * and Hong Li * Academic Editor: Giacomina Brunetti Received: 21 November 2025 Revised: 15 December 2025 Accepted: 23 December 2025 Published: 26 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. College of Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; [chq19831150689@outlook.com](chq19831150689@outlook.com) (H.C.); [yangaiping@scu.edu.cn](yangaiping@scu.edu.cn) (A.Y.); [lgy929@126.com](lgy929@126.com) (G.L.) * Correspondence: [zhengheng@scu.edu.cn](zhengheng@scu.edu.cn) (H.Z.); [lih2013@scu.edu.cn](lih2013@scu.edu.cn) (H.L.) Abstract The non-absorbability and biological inertia of traditional bone wax often result in foreign body retention, inhibit bone healing, and increase the risk of infection. Herein, a novel absorbable bone wax was developed by mixing polyethylene glycol (PEG), tannic acid (TA), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and low-molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) via one-pot method. Among them, PEG functions as the matrix, endowing it with plasticity and hydrophilicity, thereby facilitating its facile, close fit to the surface of bone defects. TA, with its profusion of phenolic hydroxyl groups, bestows the material with exceptional adhesion properties. The hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in the CMC molecular structure are capable of forming hydrogen bond networks with PEG and TA. Concurrently, hydrophobic PLLA reinforces the hydrogen bond network structure. Absorbable bone wax maintains excellent adhesion in water. The obtained wax shows an adhesion strength of 27.07 kPa and can maintain adhesion to pig bone for 6.0 h in an aqueous environment. In particular, after being soaked in water for 24 h, the bone wax only dissolves on the surface, while the core remains intact. The results of the porcine sternum implantation experiment showed that the hemostatic performance of this bone wax was comparable to that of nonabsorbable bone wax. Furthermore, the absorbable bone wax was gradually absorbed, leading to better bone tissue healing. This absorbable formulation could eliminate the 5–15% infection rate associated with traditional bone wax. Keywords: absorbable bone wax; PEG; wet adhesion; hemostasis 1. Introduction Bones are known to contain a rich network of blood vessels and bone marrow [1,2] . In the event of damage to the vascular system due to external trauma or surgical incisions, bleeding at the bone wound site may occur. It is imperative that hemostasis is achieved on time to avert the occurrence of subsequent pathological consequences, such as tissue necrosis. Failure to do so may potentially compromise the patient’s life safety [3] . Traditional bone wax, consisting primarily of beeswax and softeners, functions as a mechanical barrier to seal bleeding sites of bone wounds (e.g., sternotomy, iliac bone harvesting, pituitary tumor resection, etc.) to achieve hemostasis. Generally, it exhibits excellent plasticity anda smooth texture, facilitating facile adhesion to bone surfaces [4,5] . Additionally, it is cost-effective and readily available, thus being widely applied in orthopedic, neurosurgical, and cardiothoracic surgeries, as well as in dental and maxillofacial surgeries and surgical tool modifications for auxiliary hemostasis [6] . However, traditional bone wax, due to its inherent inertness and non-biodegradability, also shows some disadvantages and induces severe adverse effects, such as foreign body reactions, bone healing delay, and infections after implantation in the human body [7–13] . Given the aforementioned limitations in the performance of traditional bone wax materials, absorbable bone wax has emerged as a novel strategy.

FAQs

What problem does traditional bone wax present after implantation?

Traditional bone wax is non-absorbable and biologically inert, which can cause foreign-body retention, inhibit bone healing, and increase infection risk.

How was the absorbable PEG-based wet-adhesive bone wax formulated?

It was created by one-pot mixing polyethylene glycol (PEG), tannic acid (TA), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and low-molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA).

What performance results were reported for adhesion and dissolution in water?

The wax showed an adhesion strength of 27.07 kPa and maintained adhesion to pig bone for 6.0 h in water. After soaking for 24 h, only the surface dissolved while the core remained intact.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia