Amorphous Hydrogel dressings are made of water, polymers and other ingredients, and have no set shape, i.e. they are free-flowing. The product can slowly seep into all of the crannies in the wound, especially puncture or other deeper wounds. Amorphous hydrogel normally needs to be covered with a secondary dressing to keep it in place.

Impregnated hydrogel dressings are made by adding an amorphous gel to a gauze pad, rope or gauze strips. These not only provide a high amount of moisture, but may be used for necrotic wounds and deep wounds with tunneling or sinus tracts. Sheet hydrogels are designed with the hydrogel suspended inside a thin mesh, allowing the dressing to overlap onto healthy skin without harming it.

Below are the 2016 sales of hydrogels used in Wound Management, with their projected growth through 2024.

Source: MedMarket Diligence, LLC; Report #S251. Order online.