Healing chronic wounds

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 324; no. 7330; pp. 160 - 163
• Main Authors: Harding, K G, Morris, H L, Patel, G K
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: London British Medical Journal Publishing Group 19.01.2002; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ
• Series: Science, medicine, and the future
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Biology; Burns; Clinical Review; Collagen; Cytokines; Diabetes; Enzymes; Extracellular matrix; Fibroblasts; Foot diseases; Growth factors; Inflammation; Injuries; Neutrophils; Pressure ulcers; Skin; Stem cells; Wound healing; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 1468-5833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.324.7330.160

Allogeneic skin grafting and bioengineered skin equivalents are being used successfully in patients with venous leg ulcers and diabetic patients with foot ulcers Methods The material presented in this article has been compiled from the published literature (located by searching Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Zetoc with the search terms "wound healing," "treatment and venous leg," "treatment and diabetic foot," and "treatment and pressure ulcer") presentations at international meetings, and our own 30 years of clinical experience managing acute and chronic wounds. Chronic ulcers are known to have reduced levels of platelet derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor β compared with acute wounds. 11 It has been suggested that growth factors may become trapped by extracellular matrix molecules 12 or may be degraded by proteases to an excessive degree, 13 resulting in non-healing.