Physical properties of Scarpa's fascia

Preservation of Scarpa's fascia has improved clinical outcomes in abdominoplasty procedures and in other body contour surgeries. However, the physical properties of Scarpa's fascia have not yet been described, and grafts are still underexplored. Fresh surgical specimens from five female patients subjected to classical abdominoplasty were dissected and analyzed. A grid was drawn on the fascia surface, dividing it into equal upper and lower halves; four Scarpa's fascia samples (30 × 10 mm) were collected from each half, 40 mm apart. The thickness was measured with a caliper. A strain/stress universal testing machine was used for mechanical tests. Twenty-five samples were obtained (nine from the upper half, 16 from the lower). The average thickness was 0.56 ± 0.11 mm. The average values for stretch, stress, strain, and Young's Modulus were, respectively, 1.436, 4.198 MPa, 43.6%, and 23.14 MPa. The upper half showed significantly greater thickness and strain values (p = 0.020 and p = 0.048; Student's t-test). The physical and biomechanical properties of Scarpa's fascia can make it a donor area for fascial grafts as an alternative to fascia lata, as it is always available and has minimal donor-site morbidity. Further studies are needed to validate this statement. It seems advantageous to use the lower half of the abdomen instead of the upper part as a donor site.