ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Chronic wounds are often recalcitrant to healing and often do not follow the expected tract. They are disabling and constitute a significant burden on both the patients’ daily life activities and the health care system. It is estimated that lower leg ulcers affect 1% of the adult population and 3.6% of people older than 65 years (1). About 72% of all leg ulcers are associated with venous insufficiency (venous stasis ulcers) (Fig. 1A), 15% with both venous and arterial disorders, and 7% with arterial disorders only (Fig. 1B) (2). One of the most challenging problems in wound care is the diabetic foot pathology. Annually, 2% to 3% of the diabetic population develops a foot ulcer (Fig. 1C), while the lifetime risk to develop a foot ulcer is as high as 25% in diabetics (3). With an expected diabetic boom and an aging society, this problem will rise tremendously.
