Chua Wesley K, Oyen Michelle L
Faculty of Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009 May;144 Suppl 1:S128-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2009.02.029. Epub 2009 Mar 14.
The chorioamnion is the membrane that surrounds the fetus during gestation. Normally, it must remain intact for the duration of pregnancy, 37-42 weeks, and only rupture during or just before labour and delivery of the fetus. In a significant number (3%) of all births, this does not happen, and membranes rupture before term, resulting in preterm birth and significant perinatal morbidity. It is known that the material properties of chorioamnion may play a major role in mechanical rupture; a number of studies have been undertaken to characterise the physical nature of chorioamnion and examine factors that may predispose to rupture. However, the existing literature is inconsistent in its choice of both physical testing methods and data analysis techniques, motivating the current review. Experimental data from a large number of chorioamnion mechanical studies were collated, and data were converted to standard engineering quantities. The failure strength of the chorioamnion membrane was found consistently to value approximately 0.9 MPa. It is hoped that past and future studies of membrane mechanics can provide insight into the role of chorioamnion in labour and delivery. In addition, biomechanical approaches can help elucidate the potential causes of early rupture, and suggest future protocols or treatments that could both diagnose and prevent its occurrence.
羊膜绒毛膜是孕期包裹胎儿的膜。正常情况下，在整个孕期（37 - 42周）它必须保持完整，仅在胎儿分娩期间或即将分娩前破裂。在所有分娩中，有相当数量（3%）的情况并非如此，胎膜在足月前破裂，导致早产和严重的围产期发病率。已知羊膜绒毛膜的材料特性可能在机械性破裂中起主要作用；已经开展了一些研究来表征羊膜绒毛膜的物理性质，并研究可能导致破裂的因素。然而，现有文献在物理测试方法和数据分析技术的选择上并不一致，这促使了本次综述。整理了大量羊膜绒毛膜力学研究的实验数据，并将数据转换为标准工程量。发现羊膜绒毛膜的破坏强度始终约为0.9兆帕。希望过去和未来的膜力学研究能够深入了解羊膜绒毛膜在分娩过程中的作用。此外，生物力学方法有助于阐明早期破裂的潜在原因，并提出未来可用于诊断和预防其发生的方案或治疗方法。
