Wound healing Flashcards
Full thickness skin laceration healing
Initial inflammatory response
Epidermis epithelialisation:
Cell migration stimulated by fibronectin
Cell proliferation (inhibited by chalones)
Cell differentiation
Vascularisation
Intact capillaries at wound edges send out buds of endothelial cells
New vessels appear within first week
skin wound closure
Macrophages and fibroblasts migrate into wound
Macrophages: clot removal
Fibroblasts: collagen and GAG production
Myofibroblasts can cause wound contraction
Scarring may affect function of the structure
Matrix metalloproteinases are essential for collagen degradation and act on
fibronectin, laminin and other extracellular components
phases of corneal laceration
immediate phase
leukocytic phase (30mins)
epithelial phase (1hr)
fibroblastic phase
endothelial phase (24hrs)
late phase (after 1 week)
immediate phase in corneal laceration
Descemet’s membrane and stromal collagen retract causing anterior and
posterior gaping
Fibrin plug forms from aqueous fibrinogen
Stromal oedema
leukocytic phase in corneal laceration
Leukocytic phase (within 30 minutes):
PMLs invade wound from conjunctival vessels and aqueous
epithelial phase in corneal laceration
Epithelial phase (1 hour): epithelial ingrowth. Contact inhibition by healthy
endothelium prevents full thickness ingrowth. Epithelial downgrowth syndrome:
Damaged endothelium
Lens remnants in wound
Vitreous in wound
fibroblastic phase in corneal laceration
Fibroblasts are derived from invading leukocytes and stromal keratocytes in
central wounds
Produce collagen and mucopolysaccharides into matrix
As this occurs, the epithelium retreats anteriorly
endothelial phase in corneal laceration
(after 24 hours):
Endothelial sliding and mitotic/amitotic multiplication to cover the posterior
aspect of the wound: filling in gaps in DM and endothelium
late phase in corneal laceration
Cellular infiltrate diminishes
Collagen fibres arrange uniformly
Stroma and Bowman’s are replaced by scar tissue (cannot regenerate)
Descemet’s membrane cannot regenerate either but during endothelial sliding,
cells deposit secondary layers in DM
fibroblast growth factor
Crucial role in wound healing
Remodels connective tissue and parenchymal constituents
Collagenisation and acquisition of wound strength
Monocyte chemotaxis, fibroblast migration and proliferation, angiogenesis,
collagenase secretion
slcearal healing
scares formed by proliferation of episclearal fibroblasts
Does not heal by itself
Acellular and avascular
Granulation tissue derived from choroid and episclera
corneal healing
healing usually leads to corneal opacity (because of loss of the alignment of collagen)
corneal epithelium regenerates from the limbus
bowman’s layer and decements do not regenerate
stromal keratocytes transform into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts to heal stromal wounds
iris wound healing
doesn’t heal
presence of fibrinolysins in the aqueous inhibits fibrin clost formation so scar tissue doesn’t form
May get iris pigment proliferation 2nd to trauma
lens healing
doesn’t heal
just turns into cataract
retina healing
damaged nerve cells are replaced by glial cells
choroid healing
melanocytes don’t proliferate, scar tissue in the choroid is derived from sclearal fibroblasts
optic nerve healing
axonal loss and demyelination