title: Biomechanical and histomorphological changes in expanded rabbit skin.
abstract: In 12 rabbits, biomechanical and histomorphological properties were determined in expanded, sham-operated and non-operated control skin. Results were evaluated in paired fashion. Both expanded and sham-operated skin showed a significant loss of stiffness of 60% and 35% respectively (rho less than 0.001 and rho less than 0.05). In addition, maximum stiffness in expanded skin was reached at a shorter extensibility than in sham-operated or non-operated control skin. Histomorphological examination revealed thickened dermal collagen bundles with loosened packing of collagen fibrils in both expanded and sham-operated skin. It is concluded that the surgical procedure of balloon implantation is responsible for a significant part of the reported biomechanical and histomorphological findings. Wound healing, in addition to the delay phenomenon, may therefore be a mechanism involved in skin expansion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Research, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Timmenga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schoorl
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Klopper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003094:Collagen; D011817:Rabbits; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D015626:Tissue Expansion; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen