Evolution of compressive mechanical properties of early hypertrophic scar during laser treatment

Abstract

Laser therapy has been widely used in the treatment of hypertrophic scars (HPS), but whether the mechanical properties of HPS tissue after laser treatment can be restored to those of normal skin remains unclear. In this paper, the relationship between the evolution of compressive mechanical properties and histological changes of HPS tissues following three successive combined pulsed dye laser (PDL) and fractional CO2 laser (CO2) treatments was investigated by compression tests and histological analysis. The early HPS model of rabbit ear was established by CO2 laser ablation. The loading–unloading tests and strain creep tests under the compression forces of 1 N, 2 N, and 3 N were carried out for normal skin, untreated HPS and HPS after different treatment times, respectively. The results showed that the compression ratio λ of all tissues revealed force dependence and rose with the increasing compression force, which was similar to the trend of most biological soft tissues. The histological changes of HPSs following laser treatment have a significant influence on the compressive mechanical response. Compared with the normal skin, the toughness and anti-deformation ability of HPS reduced due to the proliferation of collagen fibers and the destruction of elastic fibers, resulting in higher energy dissipation, compression ratio λ, and stable creep rate D, and lower elastic modulus. After three successive combined PDL/ CO2 laser treatments, the compressive mechanical properties and creep properties of HPS gradually approached that of the normal skin owing to the gradual restoration of the amount and distribution of collagen and elastic fibers in HPS. The results provide a new method for evaluating the clinical efficacy of laser therapy for treatment of HPS tissue.