A mathematical model for the determination of mouse excisional wound healing parameters from photographic data

We present a mathematical model to quantify parameters of mouse excisional wound healing from photographic data. The equation is a piecewise linear function in log scale that includes key parameters of initial wound radius (R₀ ), an initial wound stasis phase (T_i ), and time to wound closure (T_c ); subsequently, these terms permit calculation of a latter active proliferative phase (T_p ), and the healing rate (HR) during this active phase. A daily photographic record of wound healing (utilizing 6 mm diameter splinted excisional wounds) permits the necessary sampling for robust parameter refinement. When implemented with an automated nonlinear fitting routine, the healing parameters are determined in an operator-independent (i.e., unbiased) manner. The model was evaluated using photographic data from a splinted excisional surgical procedure involving several different mouse cohorts. Model fitting demonstrates excellent coefficients of determination (R² ) in each case. The model, thus, permits quantitation of key parameters of excisional wound healing, from initial wounding through to wound closure, from photographic data.