Which phase of wound healing is characterized by collagen realignment and scar maturation?

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Collagen realignment and scar maturation occur during the remodeling (maturation) phase. After the initial inflammation and the proliferative phase lay down new tissue and collagen, remodeling reorganizes those collagen fibers along the lines of mechanical stress, increases cross-linking, and gradually strengthens the scar. This phase can last weeks to months, and the resulting scar becomes more organized, less vascular, and more tensile, though it never fully regains the original tissue strength. The other phases focus on stopping bleeding or clearing debris and forming new tissue, rather than the long-term realignment of collagen.