The biomechanics of wounds at physiologically relevant levels: Understanding skin's stress-shielding effect for the quantitative assessment of healing

• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.100963
• Publication Date: 2024-01-17T13:06:16Z
• Authors: Sara Medina-Lomba...; Connor Bain; Laura Charlton; Antonella Pellicoro; Holly Rocliffe; Jenna Cash; Robert Reuben; Michael L. Crichton
• Keywords: Strain (injury); Biomechanics

Wounds are responsible for the decrease in quality of life billions people around world. Their assessment relies on subjective parameters which often delays optimal treatments and results increased healthcare costs. In this work, we sought to understand quantify how wounds at different healing stages (days 1, 3, 7 14 post wounding) change mechanical properties tissues that contain them, these could be measured clinically relevant strain levels, as a step towards quantitative wound tracking technologies. To achieve this, used digital image correlation testing mouse model map global local tissue strains. We found no significant differences elastic viscoelastic wounded vs unwounded skin when samples were bulk, presumably masked by protective mechanisms skin, redistributes applied loads mitigate high stresses reduce damage. By measuring values observing distinct patterns they formed, it was possible establish connection between phase (determined time post-injury observed histological features) overall behaviour. Importantly, from surface tissue, using physiologically strains without increasing tissue's Adaptations approaches clinical use have potential aid identification problems, such excessive inflammation or lack progression over time. An increase, decrease, elasticity viscoelasticity parameters, can indicative state, thus ultimately leading improved diagnostic outcomes.