AFM analysis of collagen fibrils in expanded scalp tissue after anisotropic tissue expansion
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2018
Abstract
Successful use of tissue expanders depends on the quality of expanded tissue. This study evaluates the impact of anisotropic self-inflating tissue expander (SITE) on the biomechanics of skin. Two different SITE were implanted subcutaneously on sheep scalps; SITE that requires 30 days for maximum expansion (Group A; n = 5), and SITE that requires 21 days for maximum expansion (Group B; n = 5). Control animals (n = 5) were maintained without SITE implantation. Young's Modulus, D-periodicity, overlap and gap region length, diameter, and height difference between overlap and gap regions on collagen fibrils were analyzed using atomic force microscopy. Histology showed no significant differences in dermal thickness between control and expanded skin of groups A and B. Furthermore, most parameters of expanded skin were similar to controls (p > 0.05). However, the height difference between overlap and gap regions was significantly smaller in group B compared to both control and group A (p < 0.01). Strong correlation was observed between Young's Modulus of overlap and gap regions of the control and group A, but not group B. Results suggest that a relatively slower SITE can be useful in reconstructive surgery to maintain the biomechanical properties of expanded skin.
Keywords
self-inflating tissue expanders, Young’s modulus, D-periodicity, Skin, Mechanical properties
Divisions
Dentistry,InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Funders
High Impact Research MoE Grant UM.C/625/1/HIR/MoE/Dent21 from the Ministry of Education Malaysia,Research grant BKS006-2016 from the Centre for Research Grant Management, Research Management & Innovation Complex, University of Malaya
Publication Title
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Volume
107
Publisher
Elsevier