TissueDB/Tissues/Adipose Tissue
(Redirected from TissueDB/Tissues/Fat)
Image: CC BY 3.0 by OpenStax College via Wikimedia Commons
Adipose tissue of the abdominal wall forms the soft, fatty subcutaneous layer that cushions underlying fascia and muscle, insulates the body, and provides realistic dissection planes in abdominal simulation models.
Materials
| Material | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponge | Yes | Yes | Trocar Placement Trainer | Craft sponge layered beneath packing tape fascia; provides compressible subcutaneous layer for trocar depth calibration.[1][2] |
| Polyester Batting | Yes | Yes | Appendectomy Simulator | Polyester batting (1 cm for subcutaneous fat, 0.5 cm for fatty tissue layer); provides compressible layers for open abdominal wall dissection.[3] |
| Polyester Batting | Appendectomy Simulator | Anterior abdominal wall; 0.5 cm thick, 12 cm × 22 cm (4.7 in × 8.7 in) | ||
| Gelatin | Z-Plasty Simulator | Gelatin:glycerine:water ratio 2:6:12; yellow food colouring; wool substrate; set 1 hour. | ||
| Glycerine | Yes | Yes | Z-Plasty Simulator | Co-ingredient (gelatin:glycerine:water 2:6:12); plasticizer; yellow food colouring; wool substrate; set 1 hour. |
| Wool | Yes | Yes | Z-Plasty Simulator | Structural fibre matrix; teased out and incorporated into the gelatin-glycerine mix; multiple layers bonded with connective tissue paste for thicker adipose. |
| Liquid plastisol (Bait Plastics LLC) with fat-coloured pigment — no TissueDB Materials page yet | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | Medium-density liquid plastisol with fat-coloured pigment poured into sheets sized 10 in × 18 in / 25.4 cm × 45.7 cm. Half of the 10-pair skin/fat run per gallon of plastisol; designed for rapid one-use-per-resident replacement between training runs.[4] | ||
| Sponge | Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Simulator (Kurashima) | Sponge of appropriate thickness simulates the subcutaneous adipose layer on the multilayer abdominal-wall insert. Specific thickness is not stated in the source paper. Source: Kurashima Y et al. 2011, Surg Innov 18(2):171–175. DOI 10.1177/1553350610395949. PMID 21307013. |
Things to Look Out For
- Materials without compressibility — Rigid or dense materials fail to simulate the yielding quality of subcutaneous fat. Clinical consequence: Trainees may apply inappropriate force during real dissection, risking injury to underlying structures.[5]
- Lack of layer distinction — If fat layer blends with skin or fascia, trainees cannot practice identifying tissue transitions. Clinical consequence: Poor depth awareness during trocar placement or layered closure.[2]
- Insufficient thickness variation — Abdominal wall thickness varies significantly by BMI: 2.4 plus or minus 1.7 cm in non-obese vs. 4.3 plus or minus 1.7 cm in obese patients. Single-thickness models don't prepare trainees for this variation. Clinical consequence: Obese patients are at higher risk for pre-peritoneal insufflation; non-obese patients may be at higher risk for great vessel injury.[6][7]
Related Structures
- Abdominal wall — adipose tissue is the layer between skin and fascia
Simulation Requirements
| Domain | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Visual | Yellow/cream colour; bulk and depth appearance |
| Tactile | Compressibility, softness, distinct from firmer underlying layers |
| Functional | Allows instruments to pass through; permits blunt dissection |
| Feedback | Sense of depth; distinguishable layer transition from skin above and fascia below |
References
[edit source]- ↑ TissueDB/Material/Packing Tape: "Applied as a continuous layer over sponge (adipose)."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ziegler O, et al. "Novel Low-Cost Low-Fidelity Abdominal Wall Simulation Is Effective for Surgical Education." J Surg Res. 2025;315:79-85. DOI
- ↑ ASAP Syllabus/Instructions to Build your Model: "1 cm thick polyester batting (subcutaneous fat)" and "0.5 cm thick polyester batting (fatty tissue).”
- ↑ Misra A et al. 2024 J Surg Educ 81(1):134–144. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.09.009. PMID: 37926660.
- ↑ Bogdanov TG, et al. "Development and Mechanical Characterization of Artificial Skin for Surgical Suture Training." Cureus. 2025;17(3):e81123. DOI
- ↑ Chaves KF, et al. "Abdominal Wall Thickness at Palmer's Point and Distance to Adjacent Structures across the Body Mass Index Spectrum." J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2022;29(7):848-854. DOI
- ↑ Bedaiwy MA, et al. "The Effect of Age and Body Mass Index on the Surgical Anatomy of Supraumbilical Port Insertion." Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2018;83(6):546-551. DOI
At a Glance
Overview
[edit source]Synonyms
[edit source]Common names: Adipose tissue, fat, fatty tissue, subcutaneous fat, body fat
Anatomical terms: Subcutaneous adipose tissue, subcutaneous fat layer, adipose layer, fat pad, panniculus, belly fat
Clinical terms: Adipose, subcutis fat component
Regional terms: Tissu adipeux (French), Tessuto adiposo (Italian), Tejido adiposo (Spanish), Fettgewebe (German), Vetweefsel (Dutch)