TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative benefits provided by acute tissue expansion
T2 - A biomechanical study in human cadavers
AU - Raposio, E.
AU - Cella, A.
AU - Panarese, P.
AU - Caregnato, P.
AU - Gualdi, A.
AU - Santi, P. L.
PY - 2000/4
Y1 - 2000/4
N2 - The aim of this study was to test the ex vivo biomechanical properties of acutely expanded cutaneous flaps to quantitatively assess the efficacy of intraoperative tissue expansion. A total of 14 fresh male cadavers were used for the study. In each cadaver, a rectangular (15 x 8 cm), proximally based flap was designed on each side of the body, in three different locations: lateral arm, anterior thorax, anterior thigh. In each cadaver, one randomly selected flap per each body region underwent acute-intermittent expansion, whereas the contralateral flap served as control. The biomechanical properties (stress/strain ratio, mean stiffness) of both expanded and control flaps were then assessed by means of a dynamometer and a force-transducer. The obtained data showed that the biomechanical benefits provided by acute tissue expansion were statistically different (P <0.05) from those obtained by simple subcutaneous undermining. While no changes of length have been observed in the acutely expanded skin flaps as compared to control cutaneous flaps, a statistically significant gain in the compliance of the former has been recorded as compared to the biomechanical behaviour of the latter. (C) 2000 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.
AB - The aim of this study was to test the ex vivo biomechanical properties of acutely expanded cutaneous flaps to quantitatively assess the efficacy of intraoperative tissue expansion. A total of 14 fresh male cadavers were used for the study. In each cadaver, a rectangular (15 x 8 cm), proximally based flap was designed on each side of the body, in three different locations: lateral arm, anterior thorax, anterior thigh. In each cadaver, one randomly selected flap per each body region underwent acute-intermittent expansion, whereas the contralateral flap served as control. The biomechanical properties (stress/strain ratio, mean stiffness) of both expanded and control flaps were then assessed by means of a dynamometer and a force-transducer. The obtained data showed that the biomechanical benefits provided by acute tissue expansion were statistically different (P <0.05) from those obtained by simple subcutaneous undermining. While no changes of length have been observed in the acutely expanded skin flaps as compared to control cutaneous flaps, a statistically significant gain in the compliance of the former has been recorded as compared to the biomechanical behaviour of the latter. (C) 2000 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.
KW - Biomechanics
KW - Cadavers
KW - Intraoperative tissue expansion
KW - Skin flap compliance
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U2 - 10.1054/bjps.1999.3222
DO - 10.1054/bjps.1999.3222
M3 - Article
C2 - 10738328
AN - SCOPUS:0033996355
VL - 53
SP - 220
EP - 224
JO - British Journal of Plastic Surgery
JF - British Journal of Plastic Surgery
SN - 0007-1226
IS - 3
ER -