An Infinite Element Model to Study Temperature Variations During Wound Healing Process After Plastic Surgery

Abstract

The study of temperature regulation of human body will help to better understand the physiology and functioning of every biological system. Skin is the largest organ of the integumentory system playing an important role to maintain the body core temperature (Tb) at 37°C. Any disturbance in the temperature regulation may cause lots of abnormality in the body. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of temperature variations of tissues of human peripheral region during wound healing process after plastic surgery. An attempt has been made to study temperature variations of normal region (region before surgery) as well as abnormal region (region after surgery) of human peripheral region after the plastic surgery at different atmospheric temperatures and rates of evaporation for an undressed wound by extending finite domain to infinite using infinite element method (IEM). The two-dimensional peripheral region (skin and subcutaneous tissues) consists of finite triangular elements of very small size and the infinitely long rectangular elements. The appropriate shape functions are used for the elements. Physiological parameters like thermal conductivity, rate of metabolism, blood mass flow rate, latent heat, rate of evaporation etc. are used along with the proper initial and boundary conditions. The temperature variations are noted for tissue of donor site (normal region) as well as tissues after surgery (abnormal region). The information obtained from this model can be of great use for biomedical scientists for application in treatment of various diseases as well as helpful to develop protocols for medical purpose.

Transient State Finite Element Model to Analyse Thermal Variations in Peripheral Region of Human Limb undergoing Healing after Surgery

“…The values of physical and physiological parameters taken [1,9,15,18,24] to obtain the numerical results are given in Here in Fig 2 nodal temperature versus time graph has been plotted for T a = 15 o C for both, normal and abnormal tissues . Fig 3 (a-c) and Fig 4 (a-c) show temperature profiles for T a = 23 o C and 33 o C at different rates of evaporation.…”

“…They resume their normal values in due course of time. The resumption of normal values by the parameters is achieved by incorporating a temporal factor in the expression for these parameters [1,15].…”

“…Also metabolic heat generation rate is assumed to be below normal due to removal of blood and tissues due to surgery. With progression of time these parameters attain their normal values [1,15]: …”

“…e e e ss T C C r s i and j    Thus: ( ) ( ) (19) ee ji a r r  Using the above expressions for physical and physiological parameters (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) and expression for temperature variation (15) in (6) T only of the surface element.…”

“…Gurung [14] dealt with thermo-regulation in human dermal part in a cold atmosphere with significant air flow. Jain and Shakya [1,15] studied temperature variation during wound healing process due to plastic surgery using finite element discretisation of the domain in Cartesian coordinates. A few scientists have studied thermal variations in surgical wound during healing after surgery.…”