The Potential of Electrospun Meshes in Postoperative Pain Management

Postoperative pain management (POPM) remains a major clinical challenge despite its vital importance in reducing surgical stress, enabling early mobilization, and limiting postoperative complications. Conventional analgesic strategies are often constrained by short drug half-lives, repeated dosing requirements, systemic adverse effects, and the risk of opioid-related toxicity or dependence. These limitations suggest that the mode of drug delivery, in addition to drug selection itself, is a critical determinant of therapeutic performance. In this context, electrospun fibrous meshes represent a promising platform for localized and sustained analgesic delivery. Their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, tuneable porosity, broad polymer compatibility, and capacity to incorporate single or multiple bioactive agents make them attractive candidates for postoperative applications. This review summarizes recent advances in electrospun meshes for POPM, with particular emphasis on fabrication strategies, polymer selection, drug incorporation approaches, drug-release behaviour, biological performance, and translational challenges.