[Wound healing in the elderly].

Restoration of tissue integrity is essential for host defense and protection of the organism. The efficacy and quality of skin repair varies significantly over a person's lifetime. Whereas prenatal wound healing is characterized by regeneration and scarless healing, scarring, fibrosis, and loss of function are features of postnatal repair. In fact, aging is the prominent risk factor for chronic wounds, skin fragility, infections, comorbidities, and decreased quality of life. Current strategies for restoration of tissue integrity and wound therapy are not sufficient and require further investigation of the underlying pathomechanisms and the development of causal-based concepts.