Vulnerology: a new term to describe the discipline of wound care.

Although wound healing is probably the most critical aspect of essential medical and surgical care, it has been neglected for a long time. With the tremendous surge over the last two decades in basic research, wound healing is emerging as a well-defined medical entity transcending existing specialties and subdivisions. In view of the multitude of health professionals interested in the field of wounds and wound healing, it seems reasonably warranted to group them under one and single appellation. We suggest 'vulnerology' as a new term to describe the discipline of wound care.