What is the typical duration of the proliferative phase of tissue healing?

• A. 2 weeks to 6 months
• B. 6 months to 1 year
• C. A few hours
• D. 2 days to 2 weeks

Answer: (D)

The proliferative phase is when new tissue is built to replace damaged tissue. Fibroblasts lay down collagen and extracellular matrix, new blood vessels form (angiogenesis), granulation tissue fills the wound, and epithelial cells begin to migrate to cover the surface. This work typically begins a few days after injury and lasts about two weeks, though larger or deeper wounds can extend longer. Saying it lasts only a few hours would be far too short for these tissue-building processes, while weeks to months would overlap with later remodeling. So, the commonly expected duration is roughly two days up to about two weeks.