Division of Musculoskeletal& Dermatological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Exp Dermatol. 2019 Feb;28 Suppl 1:4-9. doi: 10.1111/exd.13826.
The measurement of the mechanical properties of skin (such as stiffness, extensibility and strength) is a key step in characterisation of both dermal ageing and disease mechanisms and in the assessment of tissue-engineered skin replacements. However, the biomechanical terminology and plethora of mathematical analysis approaches can be daunting to those outside the field. As a consequence, mechanical studies are often inaccessible to a significant proportion of the intended audience. Furthermore, devices for the measurement of skin function in vivo generate relative values rather than formal mechanical measures, therefore limiting the ability to compare studies. In this viewpoint essay, we discuss key biomechanical concepts and the influence of technical and biological factors (including the nature of the testing apparatus, length scale, donor age and anatomical site) on measured mechanical properties such as stiffness. Having discussed the current state-of-the-art in macro-mechanical and micromechanical measuring techniques and in mathematical and computational modelling methods, we then make suggestions as to how these approaches, in combination with 3D X-ray imaging and mechanics methods, may be adopted into a single strategy to characterise the mechanical behaviour of skin.
皮肤机械性能（如硬度、拉伸性和强度）的测量是描述皮肤老化和疾病机制以及评估组织工程皮肤替代品的关键步骤。然而，生物力学术语和众多的数学分析方法可能令该领域以外的人望而却步。因此，机械研究往往让相当一部分目标受众难以企及。此外，用于测量体内皮肤功能的设备仅生成相对值，而不是正式的机械测量值，因此限制了对研究进行比较的能力。在这篇观点文章中，我们讨论了关键的生物力学概念以及技术和生物学因素（包括测试仪器的性质、尺度、供体年龄和解剖部位）对硬度等测量机械性能的影响。在讨论了宏观力学和微观力学测量技术以及数学和计算建模方法的现状之后，我们提出了如何将这些方法与 3D X 射线成像和力学方法相结合，采用单一策略来描述皮肤的机械行为的建议。
