ABSTRACT
Standard medial parapatellar arthrotomies of 10 cadaveric knees were closed with either
conventional interrupted absorbable sutures (control group, mean of 19.4 sutures)
or a single running knotless bidirectional barbed absorbable suture (experimental
group). Water-tightness of the arthrotomy closure was compared by simulating a tense
hemarthrosis and measuring arthrotomy leakage over 3 minutes. Mean total leakage was
356 mL and 89 mL in the control and experimental groups, respectively (p = 0.027). Using 8 of the 10 knees (4 closed with control sutures, 4 closed with an
experimental suture), a tense hemarthrosis was again created, and iatrogenic suture
rupture was performed: a proximal suture was cut at 1 minute; a distal suture was
cut at 2 minutes. The impact of suture rupture was compared by measuring total arthrotomy
leakage over 3 minutes. Mean total leakage was 601 mL and 174 mL in the control and
experimental groups, respectively (p = 0.3). In summary, using a cadaveric model, arthrotomies closed with a single bidirectional
barbed running suture were statistically significantly more water-tight than those
closed using a standard interrupted technique. The sample size was insufficient to
determine whether the two closure techniques differed in leakage volume after suture
rupture.
KEYWORDS
Arthroplasty - arthrotomy - wound drainage - knotless suture - water-tight
REFERENCES
fcush@att.net
