Biomechanics of skin grafts: effect of pattern size, spacing and orientation

Abstract Skin graft expansion is the key to treatment of severe burn injuries requiring skin transplantation. While high expansions have been claimed by a majority manufacturers, realistic reported date with grafts are much lower. To clarify this discrepancy, we attempted understand biomechanics through study common pattern sizes, spacing, and orientation, their influence on mesh induced stress. A novel simulant material additive manufacturing were employed develop models. Tensile testing experiments conducted overall stresses, finite element model (FEM) was used characterize local trends. At low strains (i.e., <1), ratio be below 1, which increased up 1.93 at strain 2. The size spacing not observed affect <10%). With change in decreased across all models strains. High localized stresses for strains, varied orientation. observations highlight achievable without overstressing, standard slit patterning grafts. These findings will only help achieve better outcomes surgeries but also guide development patterns enhanced future.