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Linear Elastic Properties of the Facial Soft Tissues Using an Aspiration Device: Towards Patient Specific Characterization

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Abstract

Biomechanical modeling of the facial soft tissue behavior is needed in aesthetic or maxillo-facial surgeries where the simulation of the bone displacements cannot accurately predict the visible outcome on the patient’s face. Because these tissues have different nature and elastic properties across the face, depending on their thickness, and their content in fat or muscle, individualizing their mechanical parameters could increase the simulation accuracy. Using a specifically designed aspiration device, the facial soft tissues deformation is measured at four different locations (cheek, cheekbone, forehead, and lower lip) on 16 young subjects. The stiffness is estimated from the deformations generated by a set of negative pressures using an inverse analysis based on a Neo Hookean model. The initial Young’s modulus of the cheek, cheekbone, forehead, and lower lip are respectively estimated to be 31.0 kPa ± 4.6, 34.9 kPa ± 6.6, 17.3 kPa ± 4.1, and 33.7 kPa ± 7.3. Significant intra-subject differences in tissue stiffness are highlighted by these estimations. They also show important inter-subject variability for some locations even when mean stiffness values show no statistical difference. This study stresses the importance of using a measurement device capable of evaluating the patient specific tissue stiffness during an intervention.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jacques Ohayon (TIMC-IMAG) for his contribution to this work and especially his help to design LASTIC and the process to estimate the stiffness modulus.

Conflict of interest

None.

Funding

This work was supported by French state funds managed by the ANR within the Investissements d’Avenir programme (Labex CAMI) under reference ANR-11-LABX-0004.

Ethical Approval

This study was conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki and all participants gave their written informed consent. Ethical approval was given by the CERNI committee under the reference 2013-11-19-30.

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Correspondence to Y. Payan.

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Associate Editor Amit Gefen oversaw the review of this article.

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Luboz, V., Promayon, E. & Payan, Y. Linear Elastic Properties of the Facial Soft Tissues Using an Aspiration Device: Towards Patient Specific Characterization. Ann Biomed Eng 42, 2369–2378 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-1098-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-1098-1

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