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Updated: May 27, 2026
14:14
Quantification of Strain in a Porcine Model of Skin Expansion Using Multi-View Stereo and Isogeometric Kinematics
Published on: April 16, 2017
Growing skin: A computational model for skin expansion in reconstructive surgery
Adrián Buganza Tepole1, Christopher Joseph Ploch, Jonathan Wong
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
|November 15, 2011
Summary
This study introduces a new computational model for skin growth during tissue expansion surgery. The model simulates how skin stretches and grows, aiding reconstructive surgery planning.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computational Mechanics
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Tissue expansion is vital for reconstructive surgery, creating extra skin for defects.
- Current methods lack precise predictive models for skin growth dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel computational model for stretch-induced skin growth.
- To simulate and analyze skin behavior during tissue expansion and deflation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nonlinear continuum mechanics with multiplicative decomposition of deformation.
- Employed the finite element method and an implicit Euler backward scheme.
- Implemented nested Newton iterations for algorithmic efficiency.
Main Results:
- Simulated gradual tissue expander inflation to demonstrate growth patterns.
- Visualized growth-induced residual stresses during expander deflation.
- Compared spatio-temporal evolution of growth, strains, and stresses across different expander geometries.
Conclusions:
- The developed model accurately captures stretch-driven skin growth.
- Predictive modeling can optimize tissue expander parameters for reconstructive surgery.
- This approach offers potential for standardizing clinical procedures in tissue expansion.
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