Micro-deformation of the wound bed (MDWT)

Micro-deformation of the wound bed refers to the microscopic mechanical stretching and distortion of cells and the extracellular matrix induced by Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) [1, 10]. This phenomenon occurs when sub-atmospheric pressure is applied across a porous dressing (such as polyurethane foam), causing the underlying tissue to be pulled into the dressing pores and creating localized micromechanical strain [2, 8]. This physical stress triggers mechanotransduction, a process where cells convert mechanical signals into biochemical cascades, leading to the upregulation of healing-related genes and growth factors like VEGF and TGF-beta1 [6, 9]. These signals promote critical healing activities, including cell proliferation, migration, and the rapid formation of vascularized granulation tissue [3, 5]. While micro-deformation is a biomechanical mechanism rather than a discrete molecular target, it serves as the functional basis for advanced wound care devices to treat chronic or non-healing ulcers [4, 7]. Optimizing these micromechanical forces is essential for treating conditions like diabetic foot ulcers and pressure sores where standard healing processes have stalled [11, 18].

Other names

Micromechanical strainTissue micro-deformationMicromechanical forceMicrostrainMicro-deformation

Micro-deformation activates mechanotransduction pathways, converting physical tissue strain into biochemical signals such as growth factor release and ion channel activation to drive cell proliferation and tissue remodeling [6, 8, 10].