International Journal of
Medicine and Medical Sciences

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Med. Med. Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9723
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJMMS
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 534

Full Length Research Paper

A histological study on the distribution of dermal collagen and elastic fibres in different regions of the body

Naveen Kumar
  • Naveen Kumar
  • Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, Manipal, India.
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Pramod Kumar
  • Pramod Kumar
  • Department of Plastic Surgery, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal University, Manipal, India.
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Keerthana Prasad
  • Keerthana Prasad
  • Department of Information Science, Manipal College of Information Science, Manipal University, Manipal, India
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B. Satheesha Nayak
  • B. Satheesha Nayak
  • Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, Manipal, India.
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  •  Accepted: 02 October 2012
  •  Published: 31 October 2012

Abstract

 

The aim of the study was to assess the unequal distributions of dermal collagen and elastic content in skin sections perpendicular to each other from different regions of the body. We collected 20 skin samples from 10 regions of a cadaver. From each region, 2 samples were collected in 2 directions which were perpendicular to each other. Histological slides were prepared and stained for collagen and elastic fibres’. Photomicrographs taken from special stained sections were analysed using simple and reliable software “tissue quant” method. Various ratios were calculated. The quantitative fraction in terms of percentage area occupied by collagen and elastic fibres were observed to be different in different regions as well as in different directions of sections taken. This unequal distribution of the dermal collagen and elastic fibres in 2 different directions of the sections will possibly have an effect on wound healing process which in turn may have an effect on varied scar appearance and behaviour based on the region and direction of wound.

 

Key words: Collagen, elastic, tissue quant, image analysis, scar