The collagen Types synthesized during early wound healing have not been quantitatively analyzed. Therefore, open wounds were made on the backs of Sprague-Dawley rats and analyzed at various times for newly synthesized collagen Types I and III. Biopsies were incubated in tissue culture medium with [³H]proline and collagen was extracted and purified prior to separation on an A5-M column. Type III collagen was increased significantly at 10 hr compared to all other times through Day 12. By 24 hr, the percentage Type III collagen returned to a normal skin value of 20%. The early appearance of Type III collagen is associated with an early increase in collagen synthesis and may function in providing initial wound structure and support for subsequent healing events.