Models of Ischemic and Vascular Wounds

Delayed wound healing is a prevalent clinical problem with substantial economic burden on the healthcare system. This is due to an ageing population and increasing comorbidities such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. Several elements including chronic tissue ischemia or repeated episodes of ischemia reperfusion injury contribute to the development of skin ulcers and wound healing delay in the lower limbs. One of the challenges in studying wound healing is the lack of accurate models that fully recapitulate the human condition. Despite these differences, several models contributed to our understanding of the role of disease conditions associated with aberrant wound healing and provided a biological system for designing and testing novel therapies. In this chapter, we described the factors involved in wound healing impairment and the different experimental models which may simulate ischemic wounds in humans.