title: Spiral-shaped metallic implant in the treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures: an experimental study on the Achilles tendon of sheep.
abstract: There are 2 main factors contributing to the strength of tendon repair: the tensile strength of the material used in repair and the tendon-holding capacity of the suture configuration. In the current study, we aimed to find a technique with high repair strength by increasing both the tensile strength of the material and the tendon-holding capacity of the configuration. We developed metal implants (models 1 and 2) made from stainless-steel wire with 2 different spiral-shaped configurations. We measured tendon-holding capacities of these alternative implants biomechanically and compared them with frequently used suture techniques, the Bunnell and locking loop, which were achieved with 5 Ticron sutures. Sixty-four sheep Achilles' tendons were used in the study as 16 tendons in each group. Model 2 was more resistant to deformation under loading when compared with model 1. The results demonstrated that model 2 was superior to model 1 and both suture techniques. This study could be accepted as a step for reaching a strong tendon repair technique. It should be emphasized that the technique needs to be improved technically to make it convenient for clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Marmara University School of Medicine, Altunizade Konutlari, Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Bariş
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kocaoğlu
authors.forename: Tanil
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Esemenli
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000601:surgery*; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D023421:Models, Animal; D012756:Sheep; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel