Strength enhancement of the interlocking mechanism in cross-stitch peripheral sutures for flexor tendon repair: biomechanical comparisons by cyclic loading.
The fatigue strength of three peripheral suture techniques for flexor tendon repair was compared by cyclic loading of repairs in a cotton dental roll tendon model. Thirty pairs of dental roll were sutured using only peripheral sutures with 6-0 polypropylene. An initial cyclic load of 5 N for 500 cycles was applied and increased by 5 N for an additional 500 cycles at each new load until rupture. The fatigue strength of an interlocking cross-stitch suture was 113% greater than a running suture and 36% greater than a standard cross-stitch suture. Interlocking the cross-stitch prevented shortening of the transverse portions under load and appears to be a useful technique for increasing the strength of the peripheral suture.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
N
N
Takeuchi
H
H
Mitsuyasu
S
S
Hotokezaka
H
H
Miura
H
H
Higaki
Y
Y
Iwamoto
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D016474:Weight-Bearing