Photoelastic models of wound closure stress.
BACKGROUND
Areas of high stress in surgical closures are known to have adverse effects on wound healing.


OBJECTIVE
To create a surgical model that will predict areas of high stress and allow for quantitative comparison of stress distributions in different closure geometries.


METHODS
Surgical models were constructed consisting of soft polyurethane plastic. Surgical defects corresponding to A to T and O to T closures were cut in the plastic and then closed with silk interrupted sutures. The models were transilluminated with polarized light, photographed, and compared.


RESULTS
The A to T closure showed much less total stress than the O to T closure. The color-coded stress patterns indicate that each closure has its own distinct stress characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Photoelastic surgical models allow rapid and easy comparison of stress concentrations in different closure geometries. Such detailed information may allow the surgeon to avoid the adverse consequences of stress.
Bucalo
B D
BD
Department of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Fort Lauderdale 33309, USA.
Iriondo
M
M
D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004548:Elasticity; D008961:Models, Structural; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013537:Sutures