Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Non Linear Mech. 2011 Jul 23;47(8):938–949. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2011.07.006

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Schematic sequence of tissue expander inflation. At biological equilibrium, the skin is in a physiological state of resting tension, left. A tissue expander is implanted subcutaneously between the skin, consisting of the epidermis and dermis, and the hypodermis. When the expander is inflated, the skin is loaded in tension, top. Mechanical stretch induces cell proliferation causing the skin to grow. Growth restores the state of resting tension, right.