Mechanical evaluation of the influence of different suture methods on temporal skin healing.
BACKGROUND
The progress of wound healing is mainly investigated using histological analyses. The study of mechanical recovery of healing wound is lacking.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the temporal mechanical strength of healing skin after the use of different suture methods.


METHODS
The dorsum of each of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats was divided into four regions, and 2-cm-long cuts were randomly made in three regions and closed using three suture methods. The size of all suture material was 4/0. The suture methods included full-thickness skin sutures with nylon (N group), degradable polyglactin 910 sutures in the dermis (V group), and nylon sutures in the epidermis with polyglactin sutures in the hypodermis (NV group). After 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks, the sutured sites were harvested for tensile testing and recovery index.


RESULTS
The V and NV groups had greater recovery indices than did the N group after 2 weeks, but the V and N groups reached almost full recovery and had greater recovery than the NV group 6 weeks after wounding. Recovery strengths increased rapidly between 4 and 6 weeks in the V and N groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are helpful for suture method selection and management of wound healing.
Yang
Cheng-San
CS
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
Yeh
Cheng-Hsin
CH
Chen
Meng-Yi
MY
Jiang
Cheng-Hsiang
CH
Su
Fong-Chin
FC
Yeh
Ming-Long
ML
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D014945:Wound Healing