An assessment of the wound healing properties of Algisite M dressings.

Haemostasis and fibrin formation contribute to the formation of a wound scab following skin damage. This process facilitates repair by providing a matrix within which cell migration and angiogenesis take place (van Hinsbergh, 2001; Phillips, 2000). Following injury, macrophages, which are normally present in tissue, increase in number, attracted by chemical messages released by the activation of the inflammatory process. They release the protein chemical messages, growth factors and growth stimulants needed to orchestrate the healing process (Leibovich and Ross, 1975). Macrophages have an essential role in the transition from wound inflammation to wound repair, the latter being characterised by the formation of granulation tissue (Clark, 1985).