Wearable Electrochemical Biosensors for Monitoring and Management of Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds constitute a major global public health challenge, characterized by a high risk of infection, prolonged healing times, and frequent recurrence. Conventional wound assessment methods, which primarily rely on visual clinical inspection and laboratory-based analyses, are limited by inherent subjectivity, delayed feedback, and a lack of capacity for real-time monitoring of the dynamic biochemical changes at the wound site. Significantly, recent advancements in flexible electronics, nanomaterials, and energy harvesting technologies have boosted the rapid development of wearable electrochemical biosensors. These devices have emerged as a transformative platform for the continuous, non-invasive analysis of critical biomarkers within the wound microenvironment, including pH, temperature, inflammatory cytokines, metabolites, and pathogen-derived molecules. This review critically examines the latest progress in wearable electrochemical biosensors for wound monitoring and management. Key discussions include (1) the special requirements for sensor design, targeting the chronic wound's pathological characteristics; (2) cutting-edge development in self-powered systems, multimodal sensor integration, closed-loop theranostics, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted decision-making; and (3) a critical appraisal of challenges in accuracy, stability, biocompatibility, energy management, and clinical translation. Finally, the review explores future trends, such as biodegradable sensors, multi-parameter fusion algorithms, and remote intelligent management systems, with the aim of establishing a foundational framework and providing technical guidance for developing next-generation intelligent wound care solutions.