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Updated: Jan 30, 2026
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Biomechanical Characterization of Human Soft Tissues Using Indentation and Tensile Testing
Published on: December 13, 2016
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Tensile behavior and structural characterization of pig dermis
Andrei Pissarenko1, Wen Yang2, Haocheng Quan1
1University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Acta Biomaterialia
|January 20, 2019
Summary
The skin's dermis features a 3D woven collagen structure that changes with deformation. This unique fiber arrangement explains skin's mechanical properties and J-curve response to tension.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Dermatology
Background:
- Skin provides protection, temperature, and water regulation.
- Skin must withstand significant deformation and damage.
- Understanding dermal mechanics is crucial for tissue repair and biomimicry.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the evolution of dermal collagen architecture under deformation.
- Elucidate the mechanical response of skin based on its structural changes.
- Develop a basis for structurally-based skin models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized juvenile pig skin as a human skin analog.
- Employed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) across three planes.
- Applied digital image correlation (DIC) for anisotropy and Poisson ratio measurements.
- Used confocal imaging with second harmonic generation (SHG) for collagen visualization.
Main Results:
- Identified a tridimensional woven collagen fiber structure in the dermis.
- Observed collagen fibers straightening and aligning with tension after failure.
- Quantified effects of strain-rate, cyclic loading, stress relaxation, and orientation.
- Demonstrated a similar J-curve response in a braided hair model, suggesting a role in skin's mechanical behavior.
Conclusions:
- The dermis possesses a dynamic, 3D woven collagen architecture that adapts to deformation.
- This fiber configuration is a key factor in skin's unique mechanical properties, including its J-curve response.
- Findings provide a foundation for advanced, structure-based computational models of skin mechanics.
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