Age- and body mass index-related changes in cutaneous shear wave velocity.
BACKGROUND
The in vivo visco-elastic characteristics of skin depend on a series of physiopathological parameters. Among them, the age-related intrinsic tensile properties and the preconditioning of the tissues set under tension by the hypodermal volume might be of importance.


OBJECTIVE
To revisit the influence of age and body mass on the firmness and mechanical anisotropy of the skin as determined by the velocity of the shear wave propagation.


METHODS
Resonance running time measurements (RRTM) were performed on the mid volar forearm in 110 adults of both sexes. In each subject 16 RRTM were collected at four different precise angles with regard to the limb axis. We recorded the lowest, the highest and the mean multidirectional RRTM as well as the coefficient of variation (CV) of the latter value. In addition, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated.


RESULTS
Age and BMI did not influence the minimum RRTM. In contrast, the maximum RRTM as well as the mean and CV of the multidirectional RRTM, significantly rose in a progressively increasing proportion of the subjects older than 60 years. These changes were only encountered in subjects with a normal BMI ranging from 18 to 25. Sex-related differences were not disclosed.


CONCLUSIONS
The intrinsic skin tension lines identified by the minimum RRTM are not significantly altered with age and BMI variations. In contrast, skin laxity identified by larger maximum and mean multidirectional RRTM may increase after 60 years of age in subjects with a normal BMI. This is accompanied by increased skin mechanical anisotropy identified by CV values of the multidirectional RRTM over 40%.
Department of Dermatopathology, University Medical Center Sart Tilman, B-4000, Liège, Belgium.
T
T
Hermanns-Lê
F
F
Jonlet
A
A
Scheen
G E
GE
Piérard
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D016880:Anisotropy; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013718:Tensile Strength