Types of Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds, also known as ulcers, are wounds that have a biological or physiological reason for not healing. The fact that a wound is chronic has nothing to do with the amount of time the wound has been present. If unrecognized and untreated, chronic wounds—such as a leg ulcer from a vein problem, a foot wound in a person with diabetes, a bed sore, or an infected wound—can have serious health complications.

Chronic wounds can be recognized by the loss of skin and/or tissue surrounding the wound. Once a wound has become chronic, intensive medical intervention is required to make the wound heal. There are a variety of types of chronic wounds and each has its own causes and treatment regimens. To learn more about a specific chronic wound and its treatment, please click on the links below.

Pressure ulcers (bed sores) often result from staying in a single position for a long time—regardless of the age of the individual. Lying in a bed or sitting in a wheelchair for extended periods of time can cut off the blood supply to an area of skin, ultimately leading to a bed sore.

People with sickle cell anemia are prone to sickle cell ulcers in the leg.

Venous ulcers are the most common type of chronic wound. They can occur in any person who had a clot or has a vein problem in the leg.