title: The length-control suture: a new method for prevention of hypertrophic scars and dog-ears.
abstract: Surgical and traumatic wounds develop hypertrophic scarring when exposed to lengthwise stress. The length-control suture (LCS) technique, in which a suture is passed in a closed-loop beneath the wound and anchored to the underside of the dermis, thereby pulling the apices inward, protects wounds from these forces and also limits the formation of dog-ears. Between 2006 and 2009, a retrospective review was performed in 230 consecutive patients who underwent wound closure with the LCS technique by a single surgeon. Wounds were evaluated at 6 weeks and 6 months. In 223 cases (97%), the technique resulted in a scar that was thin, soft, and flat. There were 6 cases of spitting and 1 case of hypertrophy. The LCS technique is useful for a wide variety of surgical and traumatic wounds across all anatomic regions. This technique if used results in scars that are reliably flat, thin, and supple within 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Alyssa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reiffel
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Reiffel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D013537:Sutures; D055815:Young Adult