Tissue repair of the epidermis and dermis.

Wounds of the skin heal in a predictable fashion and at a fairly constant rate if impediments to healing can be avoided. For the skin wound of the hand, the therapist and surgeon face paradoxic demands to balance optimal immobilization for wound healing with optimal motion for function. As long as the wound remains stable, therapy can begin very early in the postoperative period without interruption of the wound-healing process.