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Wound repair is a dynamic process wherein a damaged tissue of a living organism is replaced by newly produced tissue. Regeneration of tissues takes place in all parts of the body. The term regeneration describes the specific substitution of the tissue such as the superficial epidermis, mucosa or fetal skin. However, there is also another form of healing wherein the wounds heal by fibrosis and scar formation. Healing and wound repair takes place in four overlapping phases or stages, namely, hemostasis, inflammatory, proliferative and maturation. The first phase of wound healing, hemostasis, begins with the onset of an injury and the aim of this stage is to stop the bleeding. The second phase or the inflammatory/defensive phase initiates a process for destroying bacteria and removing debris for preparing the wound bed for the growth of new tissue. Proliferation is the third phase of wound healing and it further involves three stages namely filling the wound, contraction of the wound margins, and covering the wound (epithelialization). In the final phase, the maturation phase, the new tissue slowly gains strength and flexibility. This book explores a wide range of topics related to wound healing. It will serve as a valuable source of reference for practitioners, surgeons, wound researchers and other health professionals.
