Abstract
It is well known that dermal tension affects bones. In order to determine the effects of serial excision, the auther examined craniofacial bones in 177 rats grouped by body weight (50, 100, 200 and 400 g) 3 and 6 months after their cheek skin had continuously stitched 3 times for a period of 3 weeks each time. The degree of deviation toward an operation side was seen greater in younger rats undergoing operations on only one side. Lesser deviation was found in the 6-month observation than in the 3-month observation, and this difference was greater in younger rats. These results suggested that tension on the skin would become relaxed even through that tension was strong at first, and that bones tended to return to their original growth patterns. No deviations were observed in rats which were operated on both sides. No changes in bone growth to an anterior or posterior direction were found in either rats operated upon on one or both sides.
