Bhattarai A, Reece GP, Brock KK, Ravi-Chandar K. A comprehensive biomechanical material characterization of the human breast fibro-structural support system. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2026;175:107283.
Disclosure
Dr. Epstein is a paid investigator in the Motiva U.S. FDA clinical trial and is compensated by Establishment Labs to train surgeons on the Preservé breast augmentation technique. He discloses this relationship in all public communications involving Motiva or Preservé. Dr. Epstein owns stock in Establishment Labs.
What This Study Found
Engineers and surgeons worked together to physically test how much the breast's own ligament and fascia tissue can stretch and how strong it is, using tissue samples from mastectomy patients and cadavers. This is basic science establishing exactly how much the tissue that surgery works around can actually handle.
Key Findings
- Tissue tested from 17 mastectomy patients (ages 35-85) and 3 cadavers
- Measured stretch and strength properties of the breast's ligament and fascia system using standardized engineering tests
- Found that tissue stiffness becomes consistent once the tissue's internal collagen fibers are fully stretched, regardless of tissue type or individual patient factors
- Provides a mathematical model that could help predict how breast tissue will behave during surgery or reconstruction planning
Why This Matters for Preservé Patients
This is basic materials science, not a clinical outcomes study, but it puts real numbers behind why preserving this specific tissue matters: it has a measurable functional role, not just an anatomical one. Best used as a supporting citation rather than a headline page.
