About this Research Topic
Open fractures and open wounds are always at danger for proper healing due to possible infections and non-unions of the bone. Bone healing is dependent on well-vascularized soft tissue, which should not be infected. Chronic diseases, such as Diabetes mellitus, chronic liver and kidney diseases and multiple immune suppressive situations may disturb the normal pathophysiology of bone and soft tissue healing. In addition, chronic vascular perfusion disorders even increase the risk of insufficient perfusion. As a consequence, normal pathophysiological mechanisms of soft tissue and bone healing might be altered at various steps: from missing blood supply over insufficient organization of the hematoma, incomplete activation of immune cells to invade, incomplete humoral activation of tissue and bone formation until insufficient consolidation of a fracture. These situations lead to chronic infections, infected – or sterile - non-unions of fractures, and disability for movement.
Early preventive procedures to avoid infections after open wounds and fractures have been established. Cleaning and temporary closure of wounds and stabilization of fractures by osteosynthesis are quite standard. Improving pathophysiology of bone healing is currently only be established by autologous bone grafts.
The aim of the Research Topic is to understand the mechanisms of soft tissue and bone healing, by determination of invading cells into the defects, by elucidating the humoral and cellular signalling cascade from injury and bleeding control to organization of the hematoma and the induction of the healing process, eg.by understanding the role of TGFß, VEGF and others mediators as well as the role of internal or external transferred stem cells to enhance healing. In addition, the alteration of healing processes due to underlying chronic diseases and infected situations should be explored. Papers are expected from experimental studies as well as from clinical studies. Recent advances such as stem cell therapy of bone and soft tissue defects or electrical stimulation of addition of Growth factors should be further explored
• Experimental studies on the pathophysiology of wound healing and possible new therapeutic approaches
• Experimental studies on bone healing – fractures, bony defects, non-union, infected non-union – that allow a better understanding of the humoral and cellular communication and healing mechanisms
• Studies of the interfaces of soft tissue and bone for the healing process and new scaffolds for filling bone defects, including 3-D printing options.
• Clinical studies of normal, complicated, and infected wounds
• Clinical studies of new concepts for bone healing, including biological osteosynthesis techniques
Early preventive procedures to avoid infections after open wounds and fractures have been established. Cleaning and temporary closure of wounds and stabilization of fractures by osteosynthesis are quite standard. Improving pathophysiology of bone healing is currently only be established by autologous bone grafts.
The aim of the Research Topic is to understand the mechanisms of soft tissue and bone healing, by determination of invading cells into the defects, by elucidating the humoral and cellular signalling cascade from injury and bleeding control to organization of the hematoma and the induction of the healing process, eg.by understanding the role of TGFß, VEGF and others mediators as well as the role of internal or external transferred stem cells to enhance healing. In addition, the alteration of healing processes due to underlying chronic diseases and infected situations should be explored. Papers are expected from experimental studies as well as from clinical studies. Recent advances such as stem cell therapy of bone and soft tissue defects or electrical stimulation of addition of Growth factors should be further explored
• Experimental studies on the pathophysiology of wound healing and possible new therapeutic approaches
• Experimental studies on bone healing – fractures, bony defects, non-union, infected non-union – that allow a better understanding of the humoral and cellular communication and healing mechanisms
• Studies of the interfaces of soft tissue and bone for the healing process and new scaffolds for filling bone defects, including 3-D printing options.
• Clinical studies of normal, complicated, and infected wounds
• Clinical studies of new concepts for bone healing, including biological osteosynthesis techniques
Keywords: Wound Healing, Bone Healing, Open Fractures, Non-Union, Critical Wounds, Wound and bone infections, Osteitis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
