Wound healing

Question 1

What are the four processes of wound healing?

Answer 1

Immediate
Inflammation
Proliferation (granulation + epithelialisation)
Maturation

Question 2

What happens in the inflammation phase? What are the dominating cells?

Answer 2

Removal of cellular debris/devitalised tissue and cleaning of tissue. Lasts 2 days
Dominating cells are macrophages and leukocytes

Question 3

What happens in the granulation (proliferation) phase?

Answer 3

Macrophages attract endothethial cells
New capillaries are formed (angiogensis)
Fibroblasts amount increases, and colalgen is produced
Red granulation tissue appears in the wound

Question 4

What happens in the epithelialisation (proliferation) phase?

Answer 4

Epithelial cells multiply and migrate across the surface from the edges.

Question 5

When is the epithelialisation phase complete?

Answer 5

Epithelialisation phase is complete when the wound has healed.

Question 6

What happens in the maturation phase?

Answer 6

Transformation of the produced collagen will increase the strength of the connective tissue.
Some capillaries formed during granulation will disappear thereby normalizing the blood supply.
This lasts for more than a year

Question 7

What is scar strength at 3/52, 6/52 and 6 months?

Answer 7

3/52 - 30% of normal
6/52 - 60% of normal
6 months - 80% of normal