Principles of Wound Closure

Methods of wound closure have advanced over the last decade with the addition of newer techniques but the fundamental principles of wound management remain unchanged and must be understood to achieve a stable wound that can be successfully closed. This article reviews the basic science of wound healing and the clinical principles of wound management with respect to timing and assessment of the wound, and finally, the principles of irrigation and debridement that one must understand to obtain a stable wound prior to any soft tissue closure. Once a stable wound has been achieved, some of the newer advancements in wound dressings and soft tissue coverage techniques that are discussed in this article can be applied to any open wound to achieve a stable durable wound closure that will ultimately lead to improved form and function.