During maturation/remodeling, what happens to collagen and scar tissue?

During maturation/remodeling, what happens to collagen and scar tissue?

• A. Decrease collagen
• B. Increase collagen to flatten scar tissue
• C. No change
• D. Scar tissue becomes stronger than normal tissue

Answer: (B)

During maturation and remodeling, collagen fibers that formed the scar are remodeled and realigned along lines of pull, with continued synthesis and cross-linking. This reorganization tends to make the scar flatter and less bulky, while the collagen present becomes more organized and the tissue gains tensile strength as Type III collagen is replaced by Type I. The net effect is a flatter, stronger scar, though it still won’t reach the strength of normal tissue. So the idea that collagen continues to accumulate and is reorganized to flatten the scar fits this phase. The other statements don’t align with remodeling: collagen isn’t simply decreasing; the scar isn’t stronger than normal tissue, and there is change from the initial state rather than no change.

During maturation and remodeling, collagen fibers that formed the scar are remodeled and realigned along lines of pull, with continued synthesis and cross-linking. This reorganization tends to make the scar flatter and less bulky, while the collagen present becomes more organized and the tissue gains tensile strength as Type III collagen is replaced by Type I. The net effect is a flatter, stronger scar, though it still won’t reach the strength of normal tissue.

So the idea that collagen continues to accumulate and is reorganized to flatten the scar fits this phase. The other statements don’t align with remodeling: collagen isn’t simply decreasing; the scar isn’t stronger than normal tissue, and there is change from the initial state rather than no change.