Biomechanical Analysis of Resorbable Barbed Suture Tenorrhaphy

Lee,  Sang Hwan; Kim,  Seok Hwan; Oh,  Hwa Young; Park,  Eun Soo; Shin,  Ho Seong; Jung,  Sung Gyun

doi:2016.21.4.198

Arch Hand Microsurg > Volume 21(4); 2016 > Article

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2016;21(4):198-204.
Published online December 30, 2016.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12790/jkssh.2016.21.4.198

Biomechanical Analysis of Resorbable Barbed Suture Tenorrhaphy

Sang Hwan Lee, Seok Hwan Kim, Hwa Young Oh, Eun Soo Park, Ho Seong Shin, Sung Gyun Jung

¹Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea.
²Jayjun Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. sangwind@hanmail.net

Received: 26 July 2016 • Revised: 20 September 2016 • Accepted: 30 September 2016

Abstract

Purpose
To evaluate the tensile strength and repair-site profile of a technique of resorbable barbed suture tenorrhaphy.

Methods
Forty-eight flexor digitorum profundus tendons were collected from the 8 adult cadavers. In the test group, the tendons were sutured using absorbent 2-0 barb knotless sutures in a 2-strand or 4-strand zig-zag pattern. In the control group, 2-0 Prolene and 3-0 polydioxanone (PDS) were used to suture the tendons using the 2-stand Modified Kessler method and the 4-strand cruciate suture method. Using a tensile force measurement machine, the breaking load (N) and the stiffness (N/mm) were measured. The types of rupture were categorized into suture breaking, knot rupture, and pullout.

Results
In the comparative analysis between the absorbent 2-0 Quill (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Canada) suture that used the 2-strand core suture and the 3-0 PDS and 2-0 Prolene sutures, the average breaking load for the 2-0 Quill suture was 26.83±7.47 N, and 21.96±6.78 N and 17.20±4.93 N for the 2-0 Prolene and 3-0 PDS sutures. In the comparison using the 4-strand core suture, the average breaking load for the 2-0 Quill suture was 62.50±13.34 N, and 22.35±5.72 N and 18.67±4.27 N for the 2-0 prolene and 3-0 PDS sutures. The most common type of rupture were knot rupture.

Conclusion
For flexor tendon sutures using the absorbent barb sutures, compared to the conventional 2-0 Prolene or 3-0 PDS sutures, absorbent barbed sutures have a higher tensile strength.