Human Wound and Its Burden: Updated 2025 Compendium of Estimates

Chronic wounds are a silent epidemic in the United States, affecting one in six Medicare beneficiaries-about 10.5 million people-and costing Medicare an estimated $22.5 billion annually. While outpatient wound care costs dropped from $10.5 billion in 2014 to $2.5 billion in 2019, physician office costs rose to $4.1 billion, reflecting a shift in care delivery. Globally, wound care expenditure reached a staggering $148.65 billion in 2022. Despite this burden, federal research funding remains disproportionately low. Chronic wounds often recur due to incomplete healing. Many wounds close by resurfacing without discharge but fail to restore the skin's barrier function-measured by transepidermal water loss at the…