title: Evidence-Based Medicine: Wound Closure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After reading this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe various wound closure techniques available to the modern plastic surgeon, including the indications and contraindications of each. 2. Explain the fundamental concepts of wound healing as it relates to reconstruction. 3. Understand the role of commonly used reconstructive adjuncts such as negative-pressure wound therapy, dermal substitutes, and tissue expansion. 4. Assess the important patient factors that may influence the strategy for surgical wound closure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful wound closure requires a comprehensive approach that includes consideration of suitable surgical techniques and critical patient factors. A clear understanding of key concepts such as wound healing, flap design, and patient risk assessment is imperative to a favorable outcome. In this Maintenance of Certification/Continuing Medical Education article, the reader is provided a summary of the available surgical options for wound closure and a discussion of the algorithm used to choose the most appropriate reconstructive strategy.
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor, Mich.|From the Department of Surgery, Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Michigan Health System.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor, Mich.|From the Department of Surgery, Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Michigan Health System.
authors.forename: Theodore A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor, Mich.|From the Department of Surgery, Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Michigan Health System.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Cederna
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D000072836:Surgical Wound / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015626:Tissue Expansion; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology