This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Langer's lines

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • Langer's lines, sometimes called cleavage lines, are topological lines drawn on a map of the human body
    • were historically defined by the direction in which the skin of a human cadaver will split when struck with a spike

    • Karl Langer investigated directional variations in the mechanical and physical properties of skin
      • he produced a series of diagrams depicting lines of cleavage in the skin and showed that the orientation of these lines coincided with the dominant axis of mechanical tension in the skin
        • correspond to the natural orientation of collagen fibers in the dermis, and are generally parallel to the orientation of the underlying muscle fibers
  • Langer's lines have relevance to forensic science and the development of surgical techniques
    • wounds against Langer's Lines have been described to have a poorer final cosmetic appearance compared to those along Langer's Lines

Reference:


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.