Morphological parametric mapping of 21 skin sites throughout the body using optical coherence tomography

Raman Maiti; Mengqui Duan; Simon G Danby; Roger Lewis; Stephen J Matcher; Matthew J Carré

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.103501

Morphological parametric mapping of 21 skin sites throughout the body using optical coherence tomography

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2020 Feb:102:103501. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.103501. Epub 2019 Oct 21.

Authors

Raman Maiti¹, Mengqui Duan², Simon G Danby³, Roger Lewis⁴, Stephen J Matcher⁵, Matthew J Carré⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of Sheffield, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S13JD, UK. Electronic address: r.maiti@sheffield.ac.uk.
² University of Sheffield, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S13JD, UK.
³ University of Sheffield, Department of Infection, Immunology and Cardiovascular Disease, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, S102RX, UK.
⁴ University of Sheffield, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S13JD, UK.
⁵ University of Sheffield, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S13JD, UK.

PMID: 31877514
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.103501

Abstract

Background: Changes in body posture cause changes in morphological properties at different skin sites. Although previous studies have reported the thickness of the skin, the details of the postures are not generally given. This paper presents the effect of a change in posture on parameters such as thickness and surface roughness in 21 load-bearing and non-load-bearing sites.

Materials and methods: A total of 12 volunteers (8 males and 4 females) were selected in an age group of 18-35 years and of Fitzpatrick skin type I-III. Images were captured using a clinically-approved VivoSight® optical coherence tomography system and analysed using an algorithm provided by Michelson Diagnostics.

Results: Overextension (extending joints to full capacity) resulted in changes to thickness, roughness and undulation of the skin around the body.

Discussion and conclusion: The load-bearing regions have thicker skin compared to non-load-bearing sites. This is the first time that undulation topography of the stratum corneum-stratum lucidum and the dermal-epidermal junction layers have been measured and reported using statistical values such as Ra. The data presented could help to define new skin layer models and to determine the variability of the skin around the body and between participants.

Keywords: Epidermis; OCT; Roughness; Stratum corneum; Thickness; Undulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Epidermis
Female
Humans
Male
Skin*
Tomography, Optical Coherence*
Young Adult