Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Practice Exam

What type of tissue is often seen during the proliferative phase of wound healing?

1. Scar tissue

2. Granulation tissue

3. Necrotic tissue

4. Epithelial tissue

The correct answer is: Granulation tissue

During the proliferative phase of wound healing, granulation tissue is the primary type of tissue that is formed. This stage typically occurs days after the injury and is characterized by the growth of new connective tissue and the formation of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Granulation tissue plays a crucial role in wound healing as it fills the wound bed and provides a scaffold for the regeneration of skin. It consists of a combination of new capillaries, immune cells, and fibroblasts—cells essential for producing collagen and extracellular matrix components that support new tissue formation. This tissue is usually red and bumpy in appearance, often indicative of a healing process. Scar tissue does play a role in the later stages of healing as it replaces granulation tissue, but it is not prominent until the maturation phase. Necrotic tissue represents dead tissue and indicates a problem that needs to be addressed, while epithelial tissue is involved in covering the wound but does not primarily characterize the proliferative phase. Thus, granulation tissue is pivotal in supporting and promoting the healing process during this important phase.