Invited Review

Fetal Wound Healing

  • Hakan Gence

Received Date: 15.09.2007 Accepted Date: 15.09.2007 J Ankara Univ Fac Med 2008;61(3):171-179

Fetal Wound Healing Scarring which is one of the fundamental processes of wound healing is a major medical problem having adverse functional, cosmetic and development effects especi-ally in children. The discovery that fetal skin wounds in animal models heal with minimal or no scarring(macroscopically) has directed surgeons to the biology of fetal healing and the manipu-lation of adult wound healing. Excisional wound healing in adults occur with acute inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, collogen and matrix syntesis, contraction and fibrosis, while fetal excisional wound healing is without inflammation, granulation tissue, wound contraction and collogen deposition. Future developments leading to a better understanding of fetal wound healing biology seem to create new possibilities at prevention of scar formation due to surgical interventions or traumas in adults.

Keywords: Fetal wound healing, scarless healing, fötal surgery