Materials for Controlled Release of Local Anesthetics

Abstract

Controlled release systems for prolonged duration local anesthesia have long been an area of research interest, and now are entering clinical practice, in part driven by the opioid epidemic. We discuss the design considerations and material properties of systems for controlled release of local anesthetics, from relatively simple systems to covalent binding of drugs to materials and delivery triggered by external stimuli.

Keywords: Biocompatibility; controlled drug release; local anesthetics; microparticles and nanoparticles; opioid sparing.