title: Knee arthrotomy closure with barbed suture in flexion versus extension: a porcine study.
abstract: The purpose of this biomechanical study was to evaluate knee arthrotomy closure with a barbed suture in flexion versus extension. 48 porcine knees were randomized into three groups: full extension, 30° flexion, and 60° flexion. Each knee was then flexed to 90° and then 120°, with failures recorded. Arthrotomy closure in extension had significantly higher failure rates (6/16) upon flexion to 90° compared to arthrotomy closure in either 30° or 60° flexion (0/32) (P = 0.032). Upon ranging from 0° to 120°, arthrotomy failure occurred in 50% (8/16) of arthrotomies in the extension group, 6.25% (1/16) in the 30° flexion group and 18.75% (3/16) in the 60° flexion group (P = 0.022). Knee arthrotomy closure in extension compared to flexion had significantly higher rates of failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kadimcherla
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lovy
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sambaziotis
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Yossef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hirsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Sun J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D013552:Swine; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: arthrotomy closure; barbed suture; extension; knee arthrotomy; suture failure