Langer's lines
Encyclopedia
Langer's lines, sometimes called cleavage lines, are topological lines drawn on a map of the human body. They technically are defined by the direction in which the skin of a human cadaver will split when struck with a spike. They correspond to the natural orientation of collagen
fibers in the dermis
. Langer's lines have relevance to forensic science and the development of surgical techniques.
n anatomist Karl Langer (1819-1887), though he cited the surgeon Baron Dupuytren as being the first to recognise the phenomenon. Langer punctured numerous holes at short distances from each other into the skin of a cadaver
with a tool that had a circular-shaped tip, similar to an ice pick. He noticed that the resultant punctures in the skin had ellipsoidal shapes. From this testing he observed patterns and was able to determine "line directions" by the longer axes of the ellipsoidal holes.
operations, particularly cosmetic surgery. If a surgeon has a choice about where and in what direction to place an incision, he or she may choose to cut in the direction of Langer's lines. Incisions made parallel to Langer's lines may heal better and produce less scarring than those that cut across.
Sometimes the exact direction of the collagen fibers are unknown, because in some regions of the body there are differences between different individuals. Also, the lines described by Kraissl differ in some ways from Langer's lines, particularly on the face.
The orientation of stab wounds relative to Langer's lines can have a considerable impact upon the presentation of the wound.
Collagen
Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...
fibers in the dermis
Dermis
The dermis is a layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues, and is composed of two layers, the papillary and reticular dermis...
. Langer's lines have relevance to forensic science and the development of surgical techniques.
History
The lines were first described in 1861 by AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n anatomist Karl Langer (1819-1887), though he cited the surgeon Baron Dupuytren as being the first to recognise the phenomenon. Langer punctured numerous holes at short distances from each other into the skin of a cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
with a tool that had a circular-shaped tip, similar to an ice pick. He noticed that the resultant punctures in the skin had ellipsoidal shapes. From this testing he observed patterns and was able to determine "line directions" by the longer axes of the ellipsoidal holes.
Application
Knowing the direction of Langer's lines within a specific area of the skin is important for surgicalSurgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
operations, particularly cosmetic surgery. If a surgeon has a choice about where and in what direction to place an incision, he or she may choose to cut in the direction of Langer's lines. Incisions made parallel to Langer's lines may heal better and produce less scarring than those that cut across.
Sometimes the exact direction of the collagen fibers are unknown, because in some regions of the body there are differences between different individuals. Also, the lines described by Kraissl differ in some ways from Langer's lines, particularly on the face.
The orientation of stab wounds relative to Langer's lines can have a considerable impact upon the presentation of the wound.