Held Manuel, Tweer Stephanie, Medved Fabian, Rothenberger Jens, Daigeler Adrien, Petersen Wiebke
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Burn Surgery, BG-Trauma Center, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
Wounds. 2018 Sep;30(9):257-262.
The prevalence of thermal skin injuries is high. Despite new research findings, skin burns and acute cold-contact injuries, together with resulting tissue damage, are not entirely understood. In particular, little is known about how these types of injuries alter the biomechanical properties of skin.
This study evaluates hyperthermic- and hypothermic-induced alterations in the biomechanical properties of human skin using a skin elasticity measurement device.
In 54 cases, local hypothermia (15°C and 5°C) and local hyperthermia (40°C and 45°C) were induced at the palmar forearm of healthy participants. The biomechanical properties of skin were measured using the skin elasticity measurement device before and after each temperature change at 2 different depths.
The skin firmness, pliability, retraction, and elasticity/calculated elasticity showed a continuous decrease in values with decreasing skin temperatures in total skin measurements and an increase in values with increasing skin temperatures in the upper layer and total skin measurements.
As per the results, the investigators believe these hyperthermic- and hypothermic-induced alterations in biomechanical skin properties are due to increased blood flow, in addition to a reversible increase in interstitial and intracellular fluid contents, thermal contraction, and expansion of collagen and elastic fibers, all of which are precursors to irreversible damage.
皮肤热损伤的患病率很高。尽管有新的研究发现，但皮肤烧伤和急性冷接触损伤以及由此导致的组织损伤仍未完全被理解。特别是，对于这些类型的损伤如何改变皮肤的生物力学特性知之甚少。
本研究使用皮肤弹性测量装置评估高温和低温引起的人体皮肤生物力学特性变化。
在54例健康参与者的掌侧前臂上诱导局部低温（15°C和5°C）和局部高温（40°C和45°C）。在每个温度变化前后，使用皮肤弹性测量装置在2个不同深度测量皮肤的生物力学特性。
在全层皮肤测量中，皮肤硬度、柔韧性、回缩性和弹性/计算弹性值随皮肤温度降低而持续下降，在上层和全层皮肤测量中，随皮肤温度升高而升高。
根据结果，研究人员认为，这些高温和低温引起的皮肤生物力学特性变化是由于血流增加，以及间质和细胞内液含量的可逆增加、热收缩以及胶原蛋白和弹性纤维的扩张，所有这些都是不可逆损伤的前兆。
