MATHEMATICAL-MODELING OF CHRONIC WOUND-HEALING

The wound-healing process has previously been modeled with exponential or with linear curves. In the present study, we proposed a new model called the delayed exponential model, and compared all three models. A ssessment of the models was based on healing data for two large groups of pressure ulcers in spinal-cord-injured (SCI) patients. The first g roup consisted of conventionally treated wounds and the second group o f wounds additionally treated with biphasic electric-current-pulse sti mulation, which was applied locally to the wound. Linear, exponential, and delayed exponential curves were fitted to experimental data (week ly measurements of the wound surface area). Numerical criteria, in the form of the least sum of squares of errors and goodness-of-fit, were calculated for each wound and model. Both numerical criteria showed th at the delayed exponential model offers the best fit of the three mode ls tested.