Creep vs. stretch: a review of the viscoelastic properties of skin.
Possessing viscous and elastic rheological properties, skin is viscoelastic. Mechanical creep, defined as the elongation of skin with a constant load over time beyond intrinsic extensibility, has been described as the vehicle harnessed for wound closure with presuturing, intraoperative tissue expansion, skin-stretching devices, and skin retraction with undermining. Resulting from the generation of new tissue due to a chronic stretching force, biological creep plays a role in conventional tissue expansion.
Wilhelmi
B J
BJ
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0724, USA.
Blackwell
S J
SJ
Mancoll
J S
JS
Phillips
L G
LG
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D015626:Tissue Expansion