Tissue repair and regeneration in gynecology and obstetrics: Current status and future directions

Gynecological and obstetric tissue repair and regeneration represents a critical clinical domain focused on addressing structural and functional damage to female reproductive organs caused by pregnancy, childbirth, gynecological pathologies, and iatrogenic factors. Although conventional therapeutic strategies—such as surgical interventions and pharmacological treatments—have achieved notable progress, persistent clinical challenges include suboptimal repair outcomes, high recurrence rates, limited regenerative capacity, and potential impairment of reproductive function, all of which significantly impact women’s physical and psychological health worldwide. To bridge this research gap, emerging regenerative strategies utilizing biomaterials have been developed and explored to enhance repair efficacy in gynecological and obstetric applications. This review systematically summarizes the current landscape of research and clinical application of these novel biomaterial-based regenerative approaches, introduces performance evaluation frameworks for biomaterials, and elaborates on their implementation in uterine repair, pelvic floor reconstruction, vaginal restoration, perineal wound healing, scar prevention, and ovarian function recovery—alongside the biological basis of tissue-specific regenerative mechanisms. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of clinically approved medical products (CE/FDA certified) related to these applications is provided, critically discussing the limitations of existing methodologies and proposing future directions to improve patient outcomes. This review aims to offer a comprehensive and targeted reference for researchers and clinicians in the fields of biomaterials and women’s health, thereby facilitating the clinical translation of innovative regenerative strategies in gynecology and obstetrics. • Centers around addressing common tissue injury challenges in gynecology and obstetrics. • Analyzes the three major categories of biomaterials and thoroughly evaluates their properties. • Brings together the latest research to propose concrete solutions for these tissue injury challenges. • Outlines clear future directions to deliver better patient outcomes.