Optical coherence tomography for the investigation of skin adaptation to mechanical stress.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Skin breakdown due to limb-socket interface stress is a significant problem for lower limb prosthesis users. While it is known that skin can adapt to stress to become more resistant to breakdown, little is understood about skin adaptation and few methods exist to noninvasively investigate it. In this study, we present novel, noninvasive imaging methods using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to assess key features of the cutaneous microvasculature that may be involved in skin adaptation.

Materials and methods

Eight able-bodied participants wore a modified below-knee prosthetic socket for two weeks to stress the skin of their lower limb. Two OCT-based imaging tests were used to assess the function and structure, respectively, of the cutaneous microvasculature at m

SUBMITTER: Swanson EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7529920 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature