Healing Wounds under Mechanical Stress: A Case Example

Abstract

This paper challenges the concept that the essential element in wound healing is to offload pressure. We suggest a change in approach that recognizes the integumentary system as one which, like all other body systems, adapts to the stresses put upon it. We use a clinical case example to illustrate the use of intentional mechanical stress to promote wound healing and include a review of the relevant literature. The intent of this publication is to call for a new look at clinical practice regarding wound healing and to call for future research directed at investigation of this theory.

Tackling Post-Operative Cutaneous Scarring with Autologous Cell Therapy

“…It is known that the dermis consists of primary fibroblasts (Hastings and Shapiro, 2016) [6]. This author has demonstrated, albeit in an in vitro setting, that un-manipulated primary (P 0 ) human dermal reticular fibroblasts retain their spatial configuration and their signature packing arrangement at an angle to the vertical [7].…”