Which phase of soft tissue healing occurs approximately from day 3 to day 21 and involves fibroplasia, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis?

• A. Remodeling phase
• B. Inflammatory phase
• C. Proliferative phase
• D. Hemostatic phase

Answer: (C)

The phase you're looking for is the proliferative phase. This spans roughly day 3 to day 21 after injury and is marked by fibroplasia, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis. As inflammation settles, fibroblasts multiply and begin producing extracellular matrix, laying down collagen to form a new scaffold. At the same time, new blood vessels grow into the healing tissue (angiogenesis), bringing nutrients and cells needed for repair. The tissue fills in with granulation tissue and starts to epithelialize, strengthening only gradually as the collagen matrix develops.

This differs from the inflammatory phase, which occurs earlier (immediate to a few days) with clot formation and immune cell activity, and from the remodeling phase, which comes later (weeks to months) as the collagen is realigned and the tissue gains tensile strength. Hemostatic processes happen immediately at injury and are not a distinct later healing phase.