title: Vagina, abdominal skin, and aponeurosis: do they have similar biomechanical properties?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  despite minimal fundamental works, there is an increasing use of meshes in urogynecology. The concept is mainly based on experiences with abdominal wall surgery. We aimed to compare the biomechanical properties of vaginal tissue, abdominal aponeurosis, and skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  samples from 11 fresh women cadavers without prolapse were collected. Uniaxial tension tests were performed and stress-strain curves were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  biomechanical properties of the vagina, aponeurosis, and skin differed significantly. The aponeurosis was much more rigid and less extendible than the vagina and skin. Vaginal tissue was less rigid but more extendible than skin. There was no difference between the vagina and skin at low strains (p = 0.341), but a highly significant difference at large strains (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  skin and aponeurosis are not suited to predict vaginal tissue biomechanics. We should be cautious when transferring experiences from abdominal wall surgery to vaginal reconstructive surgery.
authors.affiliation: Clinique de chirurgie gynécologique, Hopital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire de Lille, 2, av. Oscar Lambret, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. boris.gabriel@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Chrystèle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubod
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brieu
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dedet
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Landsheere
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Delmas
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosson
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000503:physiopathology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013710:Tendons / Q000502:physiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*
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