title: Subcuticular sutures and the rate of inflammation in noncontaminated wounds.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eily-Cofield
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wooden
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bradfield
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D009757:Nylons; D011098:Polyglactin 910