title: Barbed sutures for arthroplasty closure--does it decrease the risk of glove perforation?
abstract: Recent resurgence in the interest of barbed suture has  extended its application to wound closures in total joint  surgery. Improved suture biomaterials and barb geometry  has lead to consideration for its use in various orthopedic  procedures including arthroplasty. The reported superior  wound tensile stress distribution, no need for knots, and  ability to close multiple layers with one suture make it an  attractive option for deep wound closure after total joint  surgery. However, inherent to the design of this suture are  barbs that pose a risk of glove perforation and the potential  for the transmission of blood borne pathogens. This study  reports no increase in the incidence of glove perforation  with use of barbed suture for deep wound closure after total  joint arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adult Reconstruction, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA. schwarzk@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarzkopf
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.forename: Justin M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Weatherall
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Marvin
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013537:Sutures / Q000009:adverse effects*