Definition: chronic wounds are wounds that fail to heal within a period of up to 8 weeks Typical examples: venous and/or arterial leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, or pressure ulcers (decubitus) Burden for the patient: chronic wounds cause morbidity and increased mortality Treatment options: unsatisfactory, no new drugs in > 15 years Patient population: 10-20 million chronic wound patients in Europe and US Treatment costs: 2 – 5% of total health care costs, i.e., > 100 billion USD/year in EU and US
Chronic wounds have a multifactorial etiology and are dependent on many different variables.
There is no test system for the prediction of treatment success.