Granulation tissue is the new tissue that fills a wound in from the bottom. It’s part of the rebuilding stage: the wound starts to fill in with new tissue, called granulation tissue, and new skin begins to form over this tissue.
What it looks like when it’s doing well is easiest to see after debridement. After dead tissue is removed, the area will be red or pink in color and look like fresh meat.
Red or pink, and like fresh meat. It’s an unlovely description and a useful one, because it sets the expectation that a healthy wound bed does not look tidy.
The flip side: wounds that are pale, purple, or black are less likely to heal. That is the test — color, rather than neatness.
Growing this tissue is also a goal of treatment. Negative pressure wound therapy reduces inflammatory exudate and promotes the formation of granulation tissue, and promoting granulation is one of the things the therapy is for. Growing this tissue is an aim of treatment, not just a stage that happens.
How much has formed is also the practical measure of progress in a packed wound. As the wound heals, you should not need as much gauze or packing gauze — because the space is filling.
What this article can’t do is tell you whether your own wound bed is healthy. Color is judged at an exam under good light, and examining and measuring the wound are among the first things a wound care team does.