Which of the following is a recognized phase of tissue healing?

• A. Inflammatory response
• B. Reconditioning hypertrophy
• C. Maturation-remodeling
• D. Fibroblastic repair

Answer: (D)

In tissue healing, one phase centers on rebuilding the tissue matrix through fibroblast activity. During the fibroblastic repair phase, fibroblasts migrate into the wound, synthesize collagen, and lay down new extracellular matrix to form granulation tissue. This creates a scaffold that bridges the wound and supports early strength gains, with collagen eventually maturing from type III to type I as remodeling progresses. Because the term explicitly names this reparative stage, it neatly identifies a recognized phase of healing.

The inflammatory response describes the initial clean-up and defense right after injury, which is separate from the later reparative process. The maturation-remodeling phase comes after the repair phase, focusing on reorganizing and strengthening the tissue over time. Reconditioning hypertrophy is not part of tissue healing.