Injuries and damage to the skin can be caused by different reasons throughout human life. The use of sodium alginate in tissue dressing has been highly studied due to its intrinsic properties, including its degradation rate and biocompatibility, and the capacity of supporting tissue proliferation. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate evidences, through a systematic review method, to support the application of sodium alginate as a curative and as a potential accelerator in the healing of skin wounds. Four databases were used to develop this systematic review: Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo and Scopus. The time interval established for the search was from January 2016 to October 2023. After applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria, each selected article was evaluated and it was observed that the improvement of the mechanical properties of sodium alginate when correctly processed and crosslinked were evident. However, the increase of crosslinking affects as the wettability and the swelling of the biomaterials can cause limitations in mechanical properties and hidrophilic behavior. To achieve the ideal dressing, it is necessary to apply the optimal concentration of crosslinking and other substances, which can damage its hidrophilic characteristic. Thus, it was concluded that sodium alginate has every caracteristic desirable to develop an effective and safe dressing.
Keywords: Degradation; biocompatibility; crosslinking; hydrophilic; sodium alginate.