title: Surgical glues: are they really adhesive?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to create a standard test to approve the efficacy of a surgical sealant. An industrial test, the bulge-and-blister test, which is very convenient for measuring adhesion energy, is applied to the surgical field to quantify adhesion of bioadhesives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were composed of two circular layers of equine pericardium glued by the surgical sealant studied. The sample was fixed to a support with an industrial glue. The support and the bottom layer were perforated in the centre to allow injection of pressurised water. Water was progressively introduced through the hole in the support and the bottom layer to create a blister with constant radius, increasing height and internal pressure during this first step. At a critical pressure, delamination started, the radius and height of the blister increased and the pressure decreased. At this point, the adhesion energy could be determined. The experimental parameters were measured with a pressure sensor and an optical profilometry device for deflection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adhesion testing was carried out in eight paired equine pericardium samples bonded with a Dermabond cyanoacrylate glue. The average value of the practical adhesion energy is 2.3 Jm(-2) with a standard deviation of 1.5 Jm(-2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of the bulge-and-blister test to the surgical field was achieved and allowed a quantification of adhesion of a surgical glue. Such information is essential to compare the different surgical glues presently available. The study of the impact of bonding conditions such as pressure, hygrometry or setting conditions will provide a better understanding of the characteristics of adhesion in the surgical field.
authors: Department of Cardio-Vascular Surgery, CHUV, rue du Bugnon 46, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Bertrand.Perrin@chuv.ch
authors: Bertrand R M
authors: BR
authors: Perrin
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Dupeux
authors: Piergiorgio
authors: P
authors: Tozzi
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Delay
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Gersbach
authors: Ludwig K
authors: LK
authors: von Segesser
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000818:Animals; D003487:Cyanoacrylates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006736:Horses; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010496:Pericardium / Q000187:drug effects; D011312:Pressure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003487:Cyanoacrylates; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; C100832:octyl 2-cyanoacrylate