Dynamic optical coherence tomography for imaging acute wound healing.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Assessing acute wound healing traditionally relies on visual inspection and indirect measures.
• Understanding the microvascular changes is crucial for effective wound management and predicting healing outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate acute wound healing processes using dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT).
• To analyze changes in blood vessel characteristics within wound beds and surrounding tissues during the healing period.

Main Methods:

• D-OCT was employed to measure vascular parameters (orientation, density, diameter, morphology, pattern) in 23 split skin graft donor sites from 22 patients.
• Measurements were taken at six time points, from surgery up to 4 weeks post-operation, including wound edges, wound bed, and healthy skin.
• Analysis included horizontal, vertical, and 3D imaging to assess angiogenesis and vascular remodeling.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in vessel morphology (blobs, serpiginous) were observed between normal and wounded skin at 300 μm depth.
• Wounded skin exhibited more vertically oriented vessels, increased branching, density, and diameter compared to healthy skin.
• 3D imaging revealed increased angiogenesis towards the wound center, with the highest vessel density at the wound-healthy skin interface. Vessel density fluctuated during healing, peaking initially, then decreasing before increasing by 4 weeks.

Conclusions:

• D-OCT provides a non-invasive method to visualize and quantify microvascular changes during acute wound healing.
• The study demonstrates D-OCT's capability in evaluating angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, complementing assessments of re-epithelialization.
• This technology can enhance the understanding and management of acute wounds by providing detailed insights into vascular dynamics.