How It Works
08/23/2009 11:07
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The organism of a human being will eventually adapt to long term mechanical stress inflicted by pressure or pulling forces by changing its shape. In order for an afflicted body part to change in size or shape, new cells have to fill in the affected area (example: penis enlargement by using an expander, pic. 1 and 2). This means that growth in the affected body part will occur and remain permanent after treatment.
A natural lengthening of body parts can be noticed with progressing age in the female breast. Because of the permanent pulling force of gravity on the tissue of the breast, it changes its shape and size („sagging breasts“). The same is true for age related changes of the face: an increasingly sagging portion of the chin area or bags under the eyes are often the result of external forces on the cell tissue and the body’s reaction to them. A natural expansion of the skin happens during pregnancy when the fetus exerts pressure against the inside of the stomach wall (pic. 3). The baby acts as an „internal expander“ that stretches the skin and stimulates growth. The skin across the stomach usually remains slightly enlarged after the pregnancy and appears less tight than before the pregnancy.
For thousands of years, humans in various cultures have used pressure or pulling forces to permanently change their bodies. The warrior tribes of Mursi and Surma in southern Ehtiopia achieve extensive deformations of soft tissue parts in lips and ears by using permanently attached pieces of jewelery. The jewelery acts like an expander due to its huge dimensions (pic. 4). The famous „Giraffe Women“ of Mae Hong Son (Thailand) owe their popularity to extended cervical vertabrae. Their growth is achieved by rings around the neck that are worn permanently and push the head away from the shoulders (pic. 5).
The medical field uses both natural (3.1) and special expander (3.2) to correct body parts through mechanical pressure and pulling forces. 3.1 An example of the effective use of natural pressure in orthopedics can be found in the field of pediatric orthopedics. With the help of an insole, the orthopedic specialist uses the patient’s weight and pressure on the foot to turn it back into a healthy shape. 3.2 Specialized medical pull and stretching devices (extender, expander) are used in various j fields. They are sparated into two groups, external (3.2.1) and internal (implanted) expander devices (3.2.2). 3.2.1 External expander are orthopedic stretching devices, applied externally and conncted to the body for a permanent or limited amount of time. Examples of readily removable devices are braces that are not permanently connected to the teeth, correcting malformations of the teeth or a deformation of the jaw (pic. 7). External expander that are permanently connected to the body are being used for so-called limb extensions. These devices are externally fastened onto an extremity (i.e. a shortened or deformed leg) and screwed into the bone. Bone, muscle, and tissue will grow and change their shape (pic. 8). 3.2.2 Implanted expander are used for reconstructive surgery (i.e. a mastectomy after breast cancer). In this case, the implanted expander is an expandable synthetic cushion, implanted under the patient’s skin. Over the course of several months the skin grows again due to the continued pressure from within and creates a cavity. After the expander is removed (pic. 9), a permanent silicone implant is inserted into the cavity to subsitute for the removed breast tissue (pic. 10 ). With the help of an implanted skin expander inside a suitable area (i.e. the face), „surplus“ body tissue can be grown. This additional tissue can be transplanted to another location in the body and will not cause a rejection by the body like tissue from a donor (pic. 11).
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