Skin Flap Surgery - Non-Invasive in Vivo Methodology to Predict Skin Flap Shrinkage

Abstract

This thesis described an integrated methodology to assist reconstructive surgeons in predicting skin flap geometry changes following skin flap harvest. It involves the use of a novel custom designed extensometer to measure the biomechanical properties of skin, followed by data analysis to estimate the flap shrinkage. In validation experiments performed on pigs, this method has been shown to produce results with an average absolute error of 6.0% between the actual and predicted shrinkages. The validation experiments have been shown to produce results that may be close to what an experienced surgeon would estimate subjectively. It is therefore concluded that this device and proposed method have the potential to serve as a tool for surgeons to predict skin flap shrinkage in vivo, non-invasively.