Abstract: Gelling fibers are a type of functional fiber that can form gel on contact with water. This type of natural polymer based fibrous materials have a very high absorption capacity whilst possess fibrous structure when wet in water. They can maintain a moist interface on wound surface and promote wound healing when they are made into wound dressings and applied on wound. This article introduced the background of the development for gelling fibers and summarized the structures and properties of gelling fibers made from alginate, chitosan and cellulose. The unique gel blocking properties of these materials in wound management are also analyzed.

Key words: medical textile material, alginate fiber, chitosan fiber, biomedical material, wound dressing