Nickel-titanium wire in circumferential suture of a flexor tendon repair: a comparison to polypropylene.
OBJECTIVE
Nickel-titanium (NiTi) has been proposed as an alternative material for flexor tendon core suture. To our knowledge, its suitability as a circumferential suture of flexor tendon repair has not been investigated before. The purpose of this ex vivo study was to investigate the biomechanical properties of NiTi circumferential repairs and to compare them with commonly used polypropylene.


METHODS
Forty porcine flexor tendons were cut and repaired by simple running or interlocking mattress technique using 100 microm NiTi wire or 6-0 polypropylene.


RESULTS
The NiTi circumferential repairs showed superior stiffness, gap resistance, and load to failure when compared to polypropylene repairs with both techniques.


CONCLUSIONS
Nickel-titanium wire seems to be a potential material for circumferential repair of flexor tendons.
Karjalainen
T
T
Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
He
M
M
Chong
A K S
AK
Lim
A Y T
AY
Ryhanen
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D008422:Materials Testing; D023421:Models, Animal; D009532:Nickel; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation; D011126:Polypropylenes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D013552:Swine; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014025:Titanium; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
D011126:Polypropylenes; C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium