ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a rabbit model of facial skin lifting and to evaluate the skin lifting effects of absorbable soft tissue plastic belt, and to provide experimental basis for clinical application of this plastic belt.Methods 36 Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into model control group (n=6) and plastic belt lifting group (n=30). The model control group received only facial skin resection surgery, while the plastic belt lifting group had facial skin resection and plastic belt implantation.The changes of rabbit general status, skin lifting effects, performance of plastic belt and pathological changes of subcutaneous tissue after implantation were determined during the 4 weeks after surgery. Results The rabbit skin wound was healed within 3-7 days after surgery without infection.Meanwhile, the plastic belts did not show shifting or rupture, and only whitening around the perforations was observed in the two groups.Compared with the model control group, the MA and MB distances in the plastic belt lifting group were significantly lower ( P0.05 ) .Moreover, the molecular weight ( Mw ) , peak molecular weight ( Mp ) , Z molecular weight (Mz) and viscosity were gradually decreased along with the time passing after implantation (P<0.01), and its dispersion Mz/Mw ratio was also gradually decreased from 2 weeks after implantation (P<0.01), and no obvious pathological changes were found after subcutaneous implantation of the plastic belts.Conclusions We have successfully established a facial skin lifting rabbit model, and the plastic belt can obviously lift the facial skin fascia system and keep intact more than 4 weeks in the body.Therefore, this plastic belt can be applied for anti-wrinkle facial soft tissue lifting against the skin damage caused by aging.