Subcuticular sutures and the rate of inflammation in noncontaminated wounds.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures increase the degree of inflammation in noncontaminated wounds.


METHODS
Randomized, blinded, prospective trial.


METHODS
Laboratory.


METHODS
Eleven Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300 to 325 g.


METHODS
Four wounds were made on each rat. Two wounds on each were closed with three interrupted buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures 6-0 polyglactin 910 and running 5-0 nylon skin sutures. The other two wounds were closed with running 5-0 nylon skin sutures alone.


RESULTS
Fourteen days after the sutures were placed, the animals were killed, and histologic preparations were made from each wound. Each sample was scored on a scale of 0 to 3 for the presence of inflammatory infiltrates, fibroplasia and capillary proliferation, necrosis, exudates, giant cells, and edema. We determined a total wound score by adding the scores from each category. The mean total wound score was 4.46 +/- 2.92 for those closed with buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures and 4.91 +/- 2.56 for those closed without buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures. Using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, we found no statistically significant difference in mean total wound score of wounds closed with and without buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures (alpha = .01). The probability of detecting a twofold difference in total wound scores was 60% (beta = .40).


CONCLUSIONS
Buried, absorbable, subcuticular sutures do not significantly increase the degree of inflammation in noncontaminated wounds.
Austin
P E
PE
Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina.
Dunn
K A
KA
Eily-Cofield
K
K
Brown
C K
CK
Wooden
W A
WA
Bradfield
J F
JF
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009757:Nylons; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013537:Sutures; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*
D009757:Nylons; D011098:Polyglactin 910