Which phase of wound healing is responsible for maintaining the initial coagulum and achieving hemostasis immediately after tissue injury?

The inflammatory phase is the first phase of wound healing, beginning immediately after tissue injury (within seconds to minutes). It achieves hemostasis through: vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation and activation, formation of the fibrin clot (coagulum), followed by vasodilation and increased vascular permeability allowing immune cell infiltration. The coagulum serves as a scaffold for subsequent healing. Neutrophils arrive first (within hours), followed by macrophages (48-72 hours), which orchestrate the transition to proliferative healing. In dental extraction sockets, maintaining the blood clot is critical — its premature loss causes dry socket (alveolar osteitis). The proliferative phase involves granulation tissue formation, angiogenesis, and wound contraction.