Abstract

Until recently, the concept of retinacula cutis was largely overlooked in discussions of dermal anchoring mechanisms. It was widely believed that dermal support was maintained solely by the collagen fibers within the dermis. However, recent anatomical and histological studies have demonstrated that retinacula cutis, composed of fibrous septa traversing the subcutaneous fat layer, play a critical role in skin structural integrity, connecting the dermis to deeper fascial layers and contributing to three-dimensional soft tissue stability. In addition to the dermal connective tissue matrix, collagen types I and III—abundant in the papillary and reticular dermis—confer tensile strength and resistance to mechanical stress. Elastin fibers, forming a resilient network interwoven with collagen, provide skin elasticity and allow for deformation and recoil. However, these dermal components alone do not account for the spatial orientation and positional stability of the skin over time. This review highlights the anatomical features, mechanical properties, and age-related changes of the retinacula cutis, while distinguishing its function from that of traditional dermal extracellular matrix components. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed in the context of facial aging, viscoelasticity, and soft tissue repositioning procedures.

Keywords

retinacula cutis, collagen dermal connective tissue, extracellular matrix components, skin aging