Principles of wound healing Flashcards
What is the aim with wound healing?
Restore normal physical form, structure and function
What are some consequences of bad wound technique and management?
Delayed healing
Prolonged discomfort
Extra cost
What are the 5 layers of the epidermis?
Stratum basale Stratum spinous Stratum granulosum Stratum lucidum Stratum corneum
What are the 2 layers of the dermis?
Superficial papillary layer
Deep reticular layer
Tension lines of skin are normal. What are they due to?
Elastic fibres in the dermis
What is the name of the tension lines in the skin
Langer’s lines of tension
What happens if you make an incision along the Langer’s lines of tension?
Skin edges retract
Make incision parallel
What are the 3 phases of wound healing?
Inflammatory (lag) phase
Proliferative (repair) phase
Remodelling phase
What cells are involved with wound healing?
(Platelets) Neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages Endothelial cells Fibroblasts/myofibroblasts Keratinocytes
What are the 2 cellular mediators for wound healing?
Growth factors
Cytokines/chemokines
What are growth factors and what do they do?
Proteins that bind to cell surface receptors
Activate cellular proliferation and differentiation
What are cytokines?
Small signalling proteins secreted by cells - cause growth differentiation and activation
Chemokine = type of cytokine with chemotactic function
After injury, tissue strength reaches what % of the original tissue strength?
80%
Even after years
(20% at 3 wks, 50% at 3 months)
What are the 3 main processes of the inflammatory phase
Haemostasis
Protection against infection
Substrate/cellular signals for next stages
What happens to the blood vessels (in terms of blood flow) after they are injured?
Transient vasoconstriction - occludes vessels
Vasodilation minutes after (heat, redness, swelling)
Platelets aggregate at the site of injury in the inflammatory phase. What do platelets release? What is the result of this?
Chemoattractants, growth factors, proteases
Attracts other cells whilst providing temporary scaffold
How long does the inflammatory phase tend to last?
4 days
After stimulation by factors, how long does it take neutrophils to arrive to the site of injury?
24-48 hrs
Neutrophils kill bacteria and are recruited during the inflammatory phase. What pp of O2 do they need? How long do they last?
Require high pp of O2
Short lived
Monocytes mature to macrophages in tissue. What are they essential for secreting?
Signalling molecules
How many days after injury does it take for the primary WBCs to arrive?
2-3 days
What are the main features of the proliferative phase of wound healing?
Angiogenesis
Fibroplasia and granulation tissue formation
Epithelialisation
Contraction