Collagen and Wound Healing

When the skin is injured, collagen becomes a comment denominator in the body’s healing response. Collagen helps the body heal itself by preparing the wound bed, balancing wound chemistry, causing cell migration and growth, inducing granulation tissue, and improving overall skin strength. Collagen’s role in these various chemical, mechanical, and biological factors form an environment conducive to wound healing, and ultimately to wound closure.


For many years, the scientific community has identified collagen as a common element in wound healing. Research indicates that collagen plays an important role in the body’s natural healing response.

The Role of Collagen in Wound Healing

Hemostasis

stops-bleeding

Collagen binds to specific receptor sites on platelet membranes [1] which swell and release substances to initiate hemostasis.[2.3]


Collagen binds to fibronectin,[4,5] causing platelet adhesion and aggregation.6]

HEMOSTASIS WOund Healing Process
WOUND DEBRIDEMENT

Wound Debridement

cleanses-the-wound
Collagen is chemotactic to monocytes and leukocytes.[7,8] Monocytes transform into macrophages which scavenge and phagocytize foreign bodies and debris.[9,10

Granulation and Angiogenesis

tissue-blood-vessels

Collagen attracts monocytes [7,8] which transform into macrophages.Macrophages release substances that result in fibroplasia and angiogenesis.[11]


Collagen provides support for the growth of new capillaries.[11,12] The presence of capillaries is essential for the deposition of new fibers.[11]

GRANULATION AND ANGIOGENESIS
FIBROBLASTIC ACTIVITY Wound Care

Fibroblastic Activity

create-structural-matrix

Collagen binds with fibronectin, [4,5} which promotes cell binding and fibrillogenesis, [15] influences bibarel dimensions, and stimulates fibroblast proliferation and migration.[16]


Collagen is chemotactic to fibroblasts, [17] which govern the restoration of new tissue by depositing oriented and organized fibers.[19.2] Collagen provides a substrate for directed migration and permeation of fibroblasts.[21]

Re-epithelialization

close-the-wound

Collagen directly supports the growth, [22,23 attachment,[24] differentiation,[23,24] and migration [25] of keratinocytes.


By binding with fibronectin, [4,5,26,27] collagen provides a provisional matrix for keratinocytesmigration [28].

RE-EPITHELIALIZATION Process
WOUND REMODELING

Wound Remodeling

Regains-Original-Integrity
Collagen and reduce the scarring by depositing oriented and organized fibers [29] and by regulating the amount of collagenase expressed by keratinocytes.[30,32]

Collagen; The Common Denominator and Wound Healing

Wounds should follow the same healing response, but factors such as clinical conditions and complications may alter or help the ideal healing process. In these cases collagen-related activity redirects the wound to the normal healing path.

Injury Occurs and Follows the Normal Healing Path to a Healed Wound

Wound Remodeling

Symptoms

Collagen Related Activity

References