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WOUND CLOSURE AND SUTURING PATTERNS: A VECTOR ANALYSIS OF SUTURE TENSION
Author(s) -
Rubinstein C.,
Russell W. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1992.tb07072.x
Subject(s) - fibrous joint , tension (geology) , perpendicular , medicine , anatomy , surgery , composite material , materials science , geometry , ultimate tensile strength , mathematics
When the vectors of force required to close the ideal surgical wound arc analysed, it is apparent that suture tension varies with the pattern of suture. For a given closing force, perpendicular interrupted sutures have the least tension. Symmetrical continuous sutures require greater suture tension, and this increases the more the suture is aligned with the direction of the wound. Asymmetrical (perpendicular/diagonal) continuous suturing requires more tension than interrupted sutures but this never exceeds 200%. Symmetrical suturing has slightly less tension than asymmetrical suturing when the spacing is about equal to the width of the suture. However, as the spacing ratio increases to greater than 2, the tension in the symmetrical suture rises very sharply. At a length: width ratio of 4. the symmetrical suture tension is about 70% greater than the same asymmetrical suturing.