Development of a Method for Measuring Human Skin Mechanical Properties
Location
Ada, Ohio
Start Date
9-12-2025 12:40 PM
End Date
9-12-2025 12:50 PM
Description
Skin flaps are widely used in plastic and reconstructive surgery to restore both function and aesthetics in patients with skin defects. Achieving optimal stress distribution within a flap is critical to prevent postoperative complications such as restricted mobility and tissue necrosis. While engineering disciplines routinely employ numerical simulation methods such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for structural optimization, the application of FEA in reconstructive surgery remains limited. This limitation largely stems from the complex, nonlinear, viscoelastic, and anisotropic behavior of human skin, whose mechanical properties vary across individuals and anatomical locations. Reliable patient-specific material data are essential for accurate FEA modeling but are challenging to obtain. This study aims to develop an experimental method to characterize skin-like mechanical properties using a multilayer artificial skin model. The synthetic skin was fabricated with layers representing the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat, and fascia, using materials such as Dragon Skin 10, Ecoflex Gel, Soma Foama 25, and Power Mesh. Mechanical testing included (1) force–displacement analysis using a force gauge and motion tracking, and (2) uniaxial tensile testing using an Instron system. The resulting stress–strain behavior demonstrated elastic characteristics, with the initial Young’s modulus calculated as approximately 0.2 MPa. Although the artificial model cannot fully replicate human skin behavior, it provides a controllable platform for studying stress distribution and mechanical response. These results establish a foundation for future integration of experimentally derived data into FEA simulations for patient- specific flap design in reconstructive surgery.
Recommended Citation
Ramanase, Arilanto Randy and Dillenbeck, Anna, "Development of a Method for Measuring Human Skin Mechanical Properties" (2025). College of Engineering Student Research Colloquium. 4.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/eng_student_research_colloquium/2025/Presentations/4
Development of a Method for Measuring Human Skin Mechanical Properties
Ada, Ohio
Skin flaps are widely used in plastic and reconstructive surgery to restore both function and aesthetics in patients with skin defects. Achieving optimal stress distribution within a flap is critical to prevent postoperative complications such as restricted mobility and tissue necrosis. While engineering disciplines routinely employ numerical simulation methods such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for structural optimization, the application of FEA in reconstructive surgery remains limited. This limitation largely stems from the complex, nonlinear, viscoelastic, and anisotropic behavior of human skin, whose mechanical properties vary across individuals and anatomical locations. Reliable patient-specific material data are essential for accurate FEA modeling but are challenging to obtain. This study aims to develop an experimental method to characterize skin-like mechanical properties using a multilayer artificial skin model. The synthetic skin was fabricated with layers representing the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat, and fascia, using materials such as Dragon Skin 10, Ecoflex Gel, Soma Foama 25, and Power Mesh. Mechanical testing included (1) force–displacement analysis using a force gauge and motion tracking, and (2) uniaxial tensile testing using an Instron system. The resulting stress–strain behavior demonstrated elastic characteristics, with the initial Young’s modulus calculated as approximately 0.2 MPa. Although the artificial model cannot fully replicate human skin behavior, it provides a controllable platform for studying stress distribution and mechanical response. These results establish a foundation for future integration of experimentally derived data into FEA simulations for patient- specific flap design in reconstructive surgery.