Experimental Investigation on the Tissue Response Induced by Face-Lifting Mesh Suspension Thread in Rats

Abstract

Background: Face-lifting procedures are often performed to hide the effects of aging. Thread-lifting, a minimally invasive technique for the correction of facial aging, has become increasingly popular, and various materials for the procedure have been developed. Objective: This study compared tissue responses to two types of threading sutures placed under rat skin: polypropylene (PP) monofilament mesh suspension thread (a novel face-lifting material) and polydioxanone (PDO) barbed thread. Methods: Eight rats each were assigned to the PP monofilament mesh suspension, PDO barbed thread, and control groups. Tissue reactions were evaluated 28 days after subcutaneous loading of the materials. Results: Significant increases in tensile strength and the mean area occupied by collagen fibers were evident in skin loaded with PDO barbed thread and PP monofilament mesh suspension thread compared to control skin (p＜0.05). Compared to sites loaded with PDO barbed thread, those loaded with PP monofilament mesh suspension thread showed a significant increase in the number of collagen fibers and a lower grade of inflammation (p＜0.05). Conclusion: PP monofilament mesh suspension thread has skin-rejuvenating effects comparable to those of PDO barbed thread, but induces a less severe inflammatory response. This indicates that it is a safe and effective material for use in thread-lifting procedures on aging skin. (Ann Dermatol 31(6) 645∼653, 2019

Experimental investigation of biostimulatory effects after polydioxanone thread insertion in a pig model

“…At present, the most popular thread material is polydioxanone (PDO), a synthetic monofilamentous polymer of multiple repeating ether‐ester units, which lasts up to an average of 6 months after hydrolysis and disappears completely within the tissue, 8 which has low tissue reactivity and extended tensile strength after embedding 8,9 . PDO threads cause specific changes of surrounding tissues that works by triggering fibroblasts to produce more collagen, 10,11 which affects downstream signaling molecules 7 and causes skin‐rejuvenating effects 12 . The nylon thread, as a traditional non‐absorbable suture, has been widely used in clinical practice, and there are records of nylon thread used in early thread‐lifting.…”

“…of surrounding tissues that works by triggering fibroblasts to produce more collagen, 10,11 which affects downstream signaling molecules 7 and causes skin-rejuvenating effects. 12 The nylon thread, as a traditional non-absorbable suture, has been widely used in clinical practice, and there are records of nylon thread used in early thread-lifting. Non-absorbable sutures show an initial tensile profile that is superior to absorbable material.…”