What are the phases of wound healing in the correct order?

• A. Inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling
• B. Coagulation, tension, and scar formation
• C. Proliferation, inflammation, and remodeling
• D. Tension, coagulation, and scar formation

Answer: (A)

The stages of wound healing proceed in a sequence that starts with inflammation, moves into proliferation, and ends with remodeling. Right after injury, the body activates inflammation to stop bleeding (hemostasis) and bring immune cells to the wound to clean debris and fight infection. This creates the prepared environment for healing and sends signals that drive the next phase. In the proliferation phase, new tissue forms: fibroblasts lay down collagen, the wound fills with granulation tissue, new blood vessels grow, and epithelial cells migrate to re-cover the surface. Finally, the remodeling phase reorganizes the collagen matrix, strengthens the tissue over time, and results in scar formation. This remodeling can continue for weeks to months, even up to a year, as tensile strength gradually increases.

Other sequences don’t fit because coagulation is part of the initial inflammatory response, not a separate later phase; “tension” isn’t a healing phase; and placing scar formation before proliferation would not support proper tissue regeneration.