Age-Related Palatal Wound Healing - an Experimental in Vivo Study

Objectives: Assess age-related excisional palatal mucoperiosteal wound closure in rats.
Methods: Excisional palatal wounds, 4.2 mm in diameter, were made in twenty-one 2-month-old and in twenty-one 18-month-old male Wistar rats. The total area and anteroposterior/laterolateral dimensions of the wounds were measured macroscopically at 1, 2 and 3 weeks post-operatively. In addition, histomorphometry was used for assessment of the intensity of inflammation and density of myofibroblasts in the wound area. Outcome parameters included macroscopically time-related dimensional closure pattern and microscopic analysis of the inflammatory reaction and myofibroblasts density scores
Results: Complete wound closure was faster in the old. A dimensional related wound closure was observed in the young versus a symmetrical wound closure in the old. Inflammatory response was significantly delayed and of lower intensity in the old. Myofibroblastic response was delayed and of lower intensity in the old albeit not statistically significant
Conclusions: Reduced initial tissue damage due to decreased and delayed inflammatory response in the old led ultimately to faster clinical wound healing compared to the young.