Wound Types

Wounds are classified as acute and chronic wounds. Acute wounds can heal within a predictable timeframe. However, the healing process of chronic wounds is slower and different from that of acute wounds. While healing in acute wounds occurs regularly and timely throughout all phases, in chronic wounds it is difficult to achieve regular and timely healing along with the restoration of anatomical integrity and function.

Acutewound

The closure of the wound and the attainment of a functional outcome within a normal tissue context are characteristic features of acute wounds. Acute wound healing is a complex process involving various immune and structural cells regulated by the release of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Generally, acute wound healing begins with the recruitment of platelets that secrete signaling molecules to attract clotting factors and cells that increase vascular permeability at the injury site. Neutrophils and proinflammatory macrophages remove debris and dead cells through phagocytosis, thereby clearing the wound of bacterial infection. This is followed by a transition from the inflammatory phase to the proliferative phase to suppress inflammation and initiate tissue remodeling.

Chronic wound

Wounds that take longer than expected to heal or fail to heal normally are classified as chronic. In such cases, the entire healing process is prolonged, the quality of tissue repair declines, and due to the failure to achieve functional closure, wounds may recur. Chronic wounds frequently show resistance to therapeutic interventions. The hallmark features of nonhealing wounds include exudation, recurrent infection, tissue necrosis, defective reepithelialization, reduced angiogenesis, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species.