Design, implementation and effectiveness of human fascia lata biomechanics for tissue engineering.

Abstract

The fascia lata (FL) is a multi-layered connective tissue with anisotropic mechanical behavior due to its fiber organization. It plays a key role in musculoskeletal functionality, making it important in tissue engineering. Understanding its mechanical response to stimuli like movement or applied pressure is crucial, as the elastic and viscoelastic behavior can vary significantly based on morphological characteristics, harvesting site, and load direction. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarise through a gap analysis the scientific literature on the biomechanical properties of the human FL, identifying all those features (from the experimental set up to its inherent structural variability) that could affect its biomechanical behaviour, and thus unveiling these emerging correlations. Our research reported key mechanical properties of the FL, such as Young's modulus, Ultimate Tensile Strength, failure strain, and anisotropic response, which are crucial for designing and applying obtained allografts and autografts in soft tissue repair. These insights can help surgeons optimize graft applications-selecting the proper harvesting location, technique, graft type, and suture size-and guide clinicians in rehabilitation for personalized medicine.