Tissue injury and healing.

This article provides a primer on the biochemistry of wound healing for clinical oral and maxillofacial surgeons, recognizing that time frames, tissue growth, and cell types are important factors in the healing process that may influence treatment, whereas the specifics of molecular composition and fiber interaction are less critical at the tissue level. Various injury patterns, including different types of lacerations, blunt and penetrating trauma, blast injuries, and ballistic injuries, are described with an eye toward the ultimate clinical goals of functional and cosmetic reconstruction. As injuries of our incredibly brave military soldiers are studied and treated and their outcomes ultimately assessed, they serve as the models to help us understand changing wound patterns and effects in this new age of terroristic warfare.