Determination of Normal Skin Elasticity by Using Real-time Shear Wave Elastography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Skin elasticity is a crucial biomechanical property.
• Shear wave elastography (SWE) offers a non-invasive method to assess tissue stiffness.
• Establishing reference ranges for skin elasticity is essential for clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define reference ranges for normal skin elasticity using SWE in healthy volunteers.
• To investigate the influence of various factors on skin elasticity measurements.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 90 healthy volunteers using B-mode ultrasonography and SWE.
• Measured skin thickness and elastic modulus at the fingers, forearms, chest, and abdominal walls.
• Calculated reference ranges (2.5th-97.5th percentiles) and analyzed factors like site, sex, age, BMI, and skin thickness.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in skin elasticity were observed across different body sites (P < .05).
• Mean elastic modulus values ranged from 9.5 kPa (abdomen) to 30.3 kPa (finger).
• Men exhibited higher skin elasticity than women, and elasticity was higher in the 20-50 age group at the finger; BMI and skin thickness showed negligible impact.

Conclusions:

• Site, sex, and age are critical factors when establishing normal skin elasticity reference ranges.
• SWE provides valuable data for understanding variations in skin biomechanics.
• These findings contribute to the accurate interpretation of skin elasticity measurements.