What are the typical phases of soft tissue healing and their approximate timeframes?

• A. Inflammatory (0-4 days), Proliferative (4-21 days), Remodeling/Maturation (weeks to months)
• B. Inflammatory (0-2 days), Proliferative (2-10 days), Remodeling (1 year)
• C. Healing (1-2 weeks), Remodeling (2-3 weeks)
• D. Inflammatory (1-3 days), Proliferative (5-14 days), Remodeling (months)

Answer: (A)

Soft tissue healing unfolds in a consistent sequence of phases: inflammatory, proliferative (repair), and remodeling (maturation). The inflammatory phase starts at the moment of injury and lasts for roughly the first few days, commonly up to about four days. During this time the body limits bleeding, clears debris, and launches the initial immune response, which accompanies swelling, heat, and pain as cells like neutrophils and macrophages arrive to protect the area.

The proliferative phase follows as the tissue begins to repair itself. This phase typically spans from around day four to about day 21. Fibroblasts lay down collagen and other extracellular matrix, new blood vessels grow (angiogenesis), and granulation tissue forms to fill in the defect. The tissue is rebuilding its structure and starting to regain a scaffold that will later be remodeled.

Remodeling, or maturation, is the longest phase and extends from weeks to months, sometimes longer depending on the tissue. During remodeling, the newly laid collagen is reorganized and cross-linked in response to mechanical loads, the collagen type III is gradually replaced by stronger type I, and the tissue gains more tensile strength and function over time. This phase gradually tunes the tissue to its normal architecture and loading patterns.

These timeframes are approximate and vary with the specific soft tissue (skin, muscle, tendon, ligament) and the severity of the injury. The sequence and overall duration described here align with how healing progresses in most situations.