Human Skin Expansion Using Circular Implants: A Finite Element Study

The aim of using circular implants is to produce additional skin in healthy parts of the body, so that new skin that is produced may be used to aid in healing injured areas that occur with plastic surgery. This study shows the amount of additional skin that is produced over time from implants, corresponding to the amount of liquid that is inside the implant membrane. The authors perform the study first on implants alone and then we place implants under the skin. Results of the first step are in agreement with previously conducted research. Second-step results are the first of their kind, because to the best of our knowledge, no similar studies have been conducted, either experimentally or numerically. Our study is motivated by wavering and inconsistent results that are obtained during real-time surgical procedures.