The Road Less Travelled

As we find ourselves in the winter of this unique year, we reflect with fondness on the end of one chapter and the very happy memories and the great friendships, partnerships and collaborative links we’ve fostered. At the start of a new year we look forward to all our new projects and plans for the upcoming year. Esteemed American poet Robert Frost highlighted motifs of seasons and in the autumn of his life he wrote what is considered one of his best pieces; he wrote about choices in life and their consequences and the beauty of taking a road less travelled.

Every author that has contributed to this packed issue of Wound Masterclass has taken the road less travelled and it has made all the difference.

In this winter issue we look at the role of Wireless Closed-Loop Smart Bandages with Integrated Sensors and its role in advancing healing, and Dr Mark Melin explores the Optimisation of Lymphedema, Kara Couch takes an indepth look at What makes Good Clinical Data, Dr Lee takes us on a journey of Safe Debridement, Dr Tickner highlights a comprehensive guide to Offloading, Dr Alton Johnson looks at the Triad of Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulceration, and Saunders and Goodeve look at the role of TLCNOSF Dressings for Diabetic Foot Ulceration. With a nod to futuristic trends in technology in wound care we have two excellent articles one on The Future of 3D Printed Biofilm for In Vitro and In Vivo Infection Models and a look at Alligator-derived Hyaluronic Acid. Dr Cole looks at A Case Series of Atypical Wound Presentations. Ms Hayley Ryan comments on Addressing the Challenge of Pressure Injuries, and Ms Kathleen Martin advises on how to Minimise the Legal Issues around Pressure Injury Care, Dr Sherman and Dr Stadler explore

the role of Biosurgery in Clinical Wound Care. Prof Anand Pillai provides a useful guide for wound care clinicians to Tendon Disorders.

We have an excellent series of Masterclass Guides looking at in-depth topics in a concise collectible format. This issue has a Masterclass Guide on: Topical External Hemostats, Anhydrous Omega-3,6,9 Therapy, Hydro-Responsive Wound Dressings, Lymphedema, and the MasterSeries on Topical Cyclical Oxygen Therapy, and Surgical Site Infection Prevention. As always we are deeply appreciative of your support of Wound Masterclass. We are fortunate to have some of the world’s most innovative wound care leaders on our global editorial board who share in our quest to provide free wound care education.

We have great appreciation for all the time and effort made by our authors and editorial board this year. Thanks to all of you for reading our journal, providing content, interacting with us, watching our MasterSeries 60 minutes interactive, a fully immersive experience.

On behalf of the Wound Masterclass team we hope you enjoy this issue and we wish you all a very happy new year ahead!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

December - January 2023