In accordance with one aspect of the present technique, a method is disclosed. The method includes applying a mechanical perturbation to a tissue region using a displacement device. The method further includes calculating a compression impedance of the tissue region in response to applying the mechanical perturbation. The method further includes retracting the displacement device and calculating a retraction impedance of the tissue region in response to retracting the displacement device. The method also includes determining a hydration level of the tissue region based on at least one of the compression impedance and the retraction impedances.