Skin and Wound Healing Flashcards

The four phases of normal wound healing in order are:

Answer: Hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, remodeling

Normal wound healing proceeds sequentially through hemostasis (clot formation), inflammation (immune cell recruitment), proliferation (tissue rebuilding), and remodeling (scar maturation).

Which layer of the skin serves as the primary barrier to infection and water loss?

Answer: Epidermis (specifically the stratum corneum)

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis, forms the principal physical and biological barrier protecting against pathogens, chemicals, and transepidermal water loss.

Collagen synthesis during wound healing is primarily the responsibility of which cell type?

Answer: Fibroblasts

Fibroblasts are the primary producers of collagen and extracellular matrix components during the proliferative phase, providing structural integrity to healing tissue.

Hypertrophic scarring differs from keloid scarring in that hypertrophic scars:

Answer: Remain within the original wound margins and may regress over time

Hypertrophic scars are raised but confined to the original wound boundary and often improve over time, whereas keloids extend beyond wound margins and rarely resolve spontaneously.

Factors that impair wound healing include all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Adequate tissue oxygenation

Adequate tissue oxygenation promotes wound healing by supporting cellular metabolism, angiogenesis, and antimicrobial leukocyte function; all other options impair healing.

Angiogenesis during wound healing refers to:

Answer: Formation of new blood vessels from existing vasculature to support granulation tissue

Angiogenesis is the process of new capillary formation from existing blood vessels, supplying the oxygen and nutrients needed for proliferating cells in the granulation tissue.