Damage from old wire tie back

Have large cotoneaster horizontalis bushes around my house walls, this year one section has barely discernible growth, after looking closely found the original owner had tied it back with wire which has sunk into the stem and could be the cause of the die back, have removed it and washed around the wound. Any other suggestions as to whether I can bring it back to life ?

 

Scrape a little of the bark from an area between the damage and the end of the stem. If the wood beneath is brown and dry then cut the damaged part off. If greenish and moist, then leave alone.

 

This is a common injury with beginner Bonsai enthusiasts, as long as the plant is alive above the wire wound it will be fine, wire wounds can cause ugly scarring, but can also create interesting features, or can be hid with clever prunning, with plants that form a brown bark, wire should be removed beforevthe Autumn swell, to explain this in basic terms, shrubs, trees etc have 3 layers, the bark, a protective layer, the cambium and Phleom (xylem), which basically act like our veins and arteries, taking fluid and nutrients up to the leaves for photosynthesis, then dispersing the appropriate goodies around the plant (very basic explanaition), every yearvthese layers are renewed, like our skin,na new layer is grown, the plant swells etc, thisvis how we can age trees by the rings, as long as the wire wound has not disrupted this process, the plant will be fine.