Three million people each year in the U.S. alone face this fate, living with a wound that causes pain, loss of function and forces changes in their lifestyle through lack of mobility. They know that it may never heal and eventually could lead to loss of limb or life. These wounds disrupt the integrity of the skin by tearing, cutting, piercing or breaking the tissue. The causes may be structural, such as injury, or physiological, such as an underlying disease. The most frequently occurring skin wounds are venous ulcers, pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.
Chronic wounds are a serious health concern with substantial morbidity.
They also are a source of frustration to both physician and patient, as lengthy treatments, treatment failures and the need for long periods of patient compliance prove challenging. The wounds take so long to heal that compliance drops off and worsens when reversals occur or new ulcers appear. The term chronic wound generally describes any break, or ulceration, of the skin that is of long duration or recurs frequently. Venous stasis ulcers are a common type of chronic wound. Chronic wounds occur in individuals with underlying diseases of various types whose medical conditions compromise the body's ability to repair injured tissue on its own.