Kraissl's lines
Last reviewed 04/2022
Kraissl's lines are a set of anatomical skin lines:
- differ from Langer's lines in that unlike Langer's lines, which are defined
in term of collagen orientation, Kraissl's lines are are oriented perpendicular
to the action of the underlying muscles
- Kraissl's lines coincides with wrinkle lines, although not always, and
tend to be perpendicular to the muscle action
- Kraissl's lines are found by studying the direction of underlying
muscle fiber
- Kraissl transposed wrinkle lines over diagrams of the underlying
musculature and showed that these lines are mostly perpendicular
to the muscles
- he noted that the orientation of attachments between the skin and muscle was largely perpendicular to the underlying muscle
- collagen runs generally parallel to wrinkle lines and is
laid down parallel to scars
- therefore, in a scar placed perpendicular to the underlying
muscle, collagen will be laid down in the same direction
as is usual in the wrinkle lines and the septa between
skin and muscle
- Kraissl's lines
- therefore, in a scar placed perpendicular to the underlying
muscle, collagen will be laid down in the same direction
as is usual in the wrinkle lines and the septa between
skin and muscle
- Kraissl transposed wrinkle lines over diagrams of the underlying
musculature and showed that these lines are mostly perpendicular
to the muscles
- Kraissl's lines are found by studying the direction of underlying
muscle fiber
- Kraissl's lines coincides with wrinkle lines, although not always, and
tend to be perpendicular to the muscle action
Reference:
- Kraissl CJ. The selection of appropriate lines for elective surgical incisions. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 1951;8(1):1-28.
- Borges AF. Relaxed skin tension lines (RSTL) versus other skin lines. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 1984;73(1):144-50.