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Skin Tensile Strength in Scleroderma

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Agache's Measuring the Skin

Abstract

In recent decades, some noninvasive biometrological methods were developed for measuring the skin tensile strength, particularly in scleroderma. Skin connective tissue (SCT) is a complex and well-organized composite of fibers and cells embedded in a viscous nonfibrillar extracellular matrix. Among its diversity of functions, the SCT exhibits integrated load-transmitting properties. The related skin tensile strength is under intrinsic and extrinsic influences modifying the way by which the tissue withstands and transmits forces through appropriate deformations. The intimate SCT structures contribute to adequately balance the skin response to any casual mechanical prompting. The typical microanatomical changes in the cutaneous involvement of scleroderma alter the overall skin tensile strength. Both the static and dynamic responses to stress are clinically and instrumentally altered. The most typical features about the biomechanical impact of the cutaneous involvement in scleroderma are deep hidebinding and decreased skin unfolding and distensibility. In addition, other changes in tensile properties include altered creep extension, biological elasticity, and viscous involvement. These changes are related to the stage of the disease evolution. All these parameters are affected by the disease progression and any positive impact of therapies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Skin Bioengineering and Imaging (LABIC), Liège University, CHU Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Gérald E. Piérard & Trinh Hermanns-Lê

  2. Service de Dermatopathologie, CHU du Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Gérald E. Piérard & Trinh Hermanns-Lê

  3. Department of Dermatopathology, Unilab Lg, University Hospital of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Trinh Hermanns-Lê

  4. Laboratory of Skin Bioengineering and Imaging (LABIC), Department of Clinical Sciences, Liège University, CHU Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Claudine Piérard-Franchimont

Authors
  1. Gérald E. Piérard
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  2. Trinh Hermanns-Lê
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  3. Claudine Piérard-Franchimont
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gérald E. Piérard .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Philippe Humbert

  2. Center for Study and Research on the Integuments, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Ferial Fanian

  3. Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

  4. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France

    Pierre Agache

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Piérard, G.E., Hermanns-Lê, T., Piérard-Franchimont, C. (2017). Skin Tensile Strength in Scleroderma. In: Humbert, P., Fanian, F., Maibach, H., Agache, P. (eds) Agache's Measuring the Skin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32383-1_133

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32383-1_133

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32381-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32383-1

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