Wound healing and tissue repair

This talk introduces wound healing and tissue repair, using it as a basis for further exploration of the basic biological mechanisms of wound healing, including the phases and key cellular players, and how these processes restore tissue after injury. We will discuss factors that can influence healing outcomes, such as infection, nutrition, and comorbidities and common complications that may develop. Finally, we will outline current and advanced clinical management strategies that aim to optimize healing and explore promising research directions to improve patient outcomes. Wound healing is a vital process that restores tissue integrity and function after injury. While acute wounds often heal with minimal intervention, the response is complex and influenced by many factors. Healing includes tissue regeneration, which restores the original structure and repair by scar formation, which replaces normal tissue with extracellular matrix. Understanding these mechanisms informs basic care and enables advanced clinical interventions for complex or chronic wounds. Wound healing progresses through several overlapping phases, hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. Immediately after injury, clot formation seals the wound to prevent blood loss. The inflammatory phase brings in neutrophils and macrophages to clear debris and bacteria. In proliferation, fibroblasts produce collagen, new blood vessels form, and epithelial cells cover the wound. Maturation may last months as