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Related Experiment Videos

Why do most surgical incisions require lengthening? How to avoid it.

J G Wright1, M Rang

  • 1Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|October 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Skin retracts by shifting, not stretching, shortening surgical incisions. To expose bony landmarks, plan incisions to be 15% longer than the required distance for accurate surgical exposure.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanical Engineering
  • Surgical Innovation
  • Anatomical Exposure

Background:

  • Surgical incisions are essential for accessing underlying anatomical structures.
  • The behavior of skin under retraction is crucial for surgical planning and outcomes.
  • Current surgical practices may not fully account for skin's biomechanical properties during retraction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the biomechanical behavior of skin during surgical retraction.
  • To develop a mathematical model predicting incision length changes due to skin retraction.
  • To provide evidence-based recommendations for optimizing surgical incision length.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a mathematical model based on skin biomechanics.
  • Validation of the model using simulated and/or actual surgical scenarios.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Quantification of incision shortening under varying degrees of retraction.

    • Main Results:

    • Skin retraction results in shortening, not stretching, due to tissue shifting.
    • A 30-50% average skin retraction leads to a 15% incision shortening.
    • The mathematical model accurately predicted observed changes in incision length.

    Conclusions:

    • Surgical incision length must be adjusted to compensate for predictable skin retraction.
    • A 15% longer incision than the target exposure distance is recommended for fixed bony landmarks.
    • Understanding skin biomechanics can enhance surgical planning and improve operative efficiency.