Types of wounds, grouped by cause
Most wound conditions fall into one of five groups: chronic, pressure, vascular, surgical and traumatic. The group matters because the cause of a wound shapes the plan.
The treating clinician decides what type of wound a person has. The descriptions here are general background, not a way to diagnose yourself.
Chronic wounds
A chronic wound is one that has stalled. It is not getting smaller, or it closes and then reopens. Non-healing wounds often have more than one thing holding them back, such as swelling, pressure, poor blood flow or infection. Diabetic foot ulcers are a common example, because diabetes can reduce both feeling and blood flow in the feet.
Pressure wounds
Pressure injuries, also called bed sores, form where skin is pressed between a bone and a surface for too long. The tailbone, hips and heels are common places. People who spend most of the day in a bed or a chair are at higher risk.
Vascular wounds
These wounds come from problems with blood or fluid moving through the legs. Venous leg ulcers are linked to veins that do not return blood well, and usually come with swelling. Arterial and mixed wounds involve too little blood reaching the skin. Telling the two apart matters, because the care for each is different.
Surgical wounds
Most incisions heal as expected. Some open, drain or become infected, and a post-surgical wound then needs follow-up that stays tied to the surgeon’s instructions. Skin grafts and their donor sites belong in this group too.
Traumatic wounds
Skin tears and traumatic wounds start with an injury: a bump against furniture, a fall, a burn. In an older adult with thin, fragile skin, a small injury can linger.