Comparative Study of Subcutaneous Buried Suture Materials in Rabbits

ABSTRACT

To have useful information and basic rationale for selection of suture materials in the subcutaneous buried suture, a study on tensile strength, clinical handing property, scar nature and histological changes was done in rabbits with four kinds of absorbable suture materials (chromic catgut, Monocryl, coated Vicryl and PDS) and two kinds of nonabsorbable suture materials (Nylon and Gore-tex). The clinical handling property included pliability, ease of tying, knot security and passage in tissue. The tensile strength of the absorbable and non-absorbable suture materials was compared before and after subcutaneous implantation, and the histology of suture materials was examined after separate subcutaneous buried sutures. The test of tensile strength and the histological examination of suture materials were done on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 30th and 90th day after subcutaneous implantation and suturing. In the clinical handing property, pliability was good in Vicryl. Ease of tying and knot security were good in both catgut and Vicryl, but passage in tissue was poor in both. In Gore-tex, pliability, ease of tying, knot security and tissue passage were better than Nylon. In the tensile strength of absorbable suture materials before implantation in the abdominal flap, Monocryl was the strongest one and catgut was the weakest one. Vicryl was a little stronger than PDS. The tensile strength of Moncryl rapidly dropped down from the 3rd day after implantation and became the weakest one after the 7th day of implantation. There was no remarkable change in the strength order of other absorbable suture materials. In the non-absorbable suture materials, Gore-tex was about two times stronger than Nylon before and after implantation. In histology, there were more severe and prolonged inflammatory reactions in absorbable suture materials than in nonabsorbables. The most severe reaction was seen in catgut. Monocryl, Vicryl and PDS were similar in inflammatory reaction. Severe giant cell and histiocytic reaction were seen in Vicryl. The least absorption was seen in PDS and it was well correlated with loss of tensile strength. Nylon showed less inflammatory reaction than Gore-tex. There are few clinical studies for recently developed Monocryl and Gore-tex. Our results suggest to us that Monmcryl is one of the best absorbable suture materials and Gore-tex is two times stronger than Nylon.