What type of healing involves the presence of granulation and epithelial tissue in the wound bed?

The process of healing that involves the presence of granulation and epithelial tissue in the wound bed is secondary intention healing. This type of healing occurs when the wound edges are not brought together, which is often the case with larger or more complex wounds. In secondary intention, the body must fill in the wound with granulation tissue—a specialized tissue that is formed during the healing process. Once granulation tissue forms, epithelial tissue can migrate across the surface of the wound, culminating in closure as the wound heals from the inside out.

This process is essential when the wound cannot be sutured or closed directly, and it typically results in more scarring due to the necessity for the body to work harder to heal the area. In contrast, primary intention healing usually involves clean, surgical wounds where the edges are neatly approximated, and tertiary intention refers to the delayed closure of a wound that has been left open due to infection or other complications. The inflammatory phase is the initial response to injury, characterized by swelling, redness, and warmth, but it does not specifically refer to the development of granulation or epithelial tissue, which are hallmarks of secondary intention healing.