A self-inflating tissue expander.

Tissue expansion is a means of mechanically creating an excess of soft tissue, contiguous to a defect, for use in reconstruction. To accomplish this, a self-inflating implant has been designed, tested, and used clinically. It offers potential advantages over similar percutaneously inflated devices, but has also presented new problems. Histologically, tissue expansion in the guinea pig is relatively innocuous, utilizing this implant; clinical results were similarly encouraging. Further clinical studies and applications await the identification of a more permeable membrane.