Biomechanical Performance of 2 Sutures Used in Flexor Tendon Repair

Abstract

We performed a biomechanical study comparing two sutures (Ticron; Ethibond Exel) commonly used in flexor tendon surgery. With the use of a custom-made tensile tester ultimate load to failure testing with and without cyclic preloading was performed. The median breaking strength of the Ticron suture was 28 N without and 27.4 N with cyclic preloading, for the Ethibond Exel suture 33 N without and 34 N with cyclic preloading. The mean elongation after cyclic preloading was 3.3 mm for the Ticron suture and 4.5 mm for the Ethibond Exel suture, respectively. On the basis of these data, recommendations are made on the use of the Ethibond Exel suture for flexor tendon surgery.

Key words

Ticron - Ethibond Exel - sutures - biomechanical testing

References

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