What is the duration of the repair phase?

• A. 1 day.
• B. 2 weeks.
• C. 4 days.
• D. 4 days to several weeks.

Answer: (D)

The repair phase lasts for a variable period that begins after the inflammatory stage has cleared enough for tissue to start rebuilding. In practice, this starts around day 4 after injury and can continue for several weeks as fibroblasts lay down collagen, new vessels grow, and the tissue gains tensile strength. Because tissue type, injury severity, and patient factors affect healing, the repair phase isn’t a fixed length. Therefore, a range from about 4 days to several weeks best captures how long this phase can last. The other options imply too short or too fixed a timeframe and don’t reflect the variability seen in healing.