{"title":"Biomechanical characterization of cadaveric thigh skin for development of biofidelic simulants","authors":"Pramod Yadav , Gurpreet Singh , Shubham Gupta , Arnab Chanda","doi":"10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2025.106650","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Simulants that accurately replicate the mechanical properties of human skin are essential for biomechanical testing, especially for skin prosthetics and grafting. Although there has been a plethora of research related to the testing of skin samples of several locations, particularly the thigh region remains yet to be extensively explored. Previous studies involving thigh skin lack the testing at varying strain rates which could be helpful to develop simulants and improve high-expansion skin grafts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study focused on developing biofieldic simulants that mimic the realistic mechanical behavior of human skin. Uniaxial tensile tests at various strain rates were conducted on cadaver skin samples. Similar tests were also performed on skin simulants made from a two-part elastomer-based polymer with varying shore hardness. The non-linear responses of these simulants were analyzed using Mooney-Rivlin, Neo-Hookean, and Yeoh hyperelastic models.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The study found that cadaveric skin exhibited mechanical behavior consistent with existing literature. Simulants of different shore hardness precisely mimic the mechanical behavior of cadaveric skin at various strain rates within a certain strain limit. All curve fittings showed a strong correlation coefficient R-square greater than 0.980.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>The mechanical properties of the polymer-based material make them ideal for developing simulants that can be modeled and tuned to closely match real thigh skin. Such highly characterized biofidelic skin simulants could provide novel insights for surgical training, trauma research, mechanical repeatability, and the development of various medical models for skin conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50992,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Biomechanics","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 106650"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Clinical Biomechanics","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003325002232","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Simulants that accurately replicate the mechanical properties of human skin are essential for biomechanical testing, especially for skin prosthetics and grafting. Although there has been a plethora of research related to the testing of skin samples of several locations, particularly the thigh region remains yet to be extensively explored. Previous studies involving thigh skin lack the testing at varying strain rates which could be helpful to develop simulants and improve high-expansion skin grafts.
Methods
This study focused on developing biofieldic simulants that mimic the realistic mechanical behavior of human skin. Uniaxial tensile tests at various strain rates were conducted on cadaver skin samples. Similar tests were also performed on skin simulants made from a two-part elastomer-based polymer with varying shore hardness. The non-linear responses of these simulants were analyzed using Mooney-Rivlin, Neo-Hookean, and Yeoh hyperelastic models.
Findings
The study found that cadaveric skin exhibited mechanical behavior consistent with existing literature. Simulants of different shore hardness precisely mimic the mechanical behavior of cadaveric skin at various strain rates within a certain strain limit. All curve fittings showed a strong correlation coefficient R-square greater than 0.980.
Interpretation
The mechanical properties of the polymer-based material make them ideal for developing simulants that can be modeled and tuned to closely match real thigh skin. Such highly characterized biofidelic skin simulants could provide novel insights for surgical training, trauma research, mechanical repeatability, and the development of various medical models for skin conditions.
期刊介绍:
Clinical Biomechanics is an international multidisciplinary journal of biomechanics with a focus on medical and clinical applications of new knowledge in the field.
The science of biomechanics helps explain the causes of cell, tissue, organ and body system disorders, and supports clinicians in the diagnosis, prognosis and evaluation of treatment methods and technologies. Clinical Biomechanics aims to strengthen the links between laboratory and clinic by publishing cutting-edge biomechanics research which helps to explain the causes of injury and disease, and which provides evidence contributing to improved clinical management.
A rigorous peer review system is employed and every attempt is made to process and publish top-quality papers promptly.
Clinical Biomechanics explores all facets of body system, organ, tissue and cell biomechanics, with an emphasis on medical and clinical applications of the basic science aspects. The role of basic science is therefore recognized in a medical or clinical context. The readership of the journal closely reflects its multi-disciplinary contents, being a balance of scientists, engineers and clinicians.
The contents are in the form of research papers, brief reports, review papers and correspondence, whilst special interest issues and supplements are published from time to time.
Disciplines covered include biomechanics and mechanobiology at all scales, bioengineering and use of tissue engineering and biomaterials for clinical applications, biophysics, as well as biomechanical aspects of medical robotics, ergonomics, physical and occupational therapeutics and rehabilitation.