AJSM Click here for details!
HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
First published on March 21, 2008, doi:10.1177/0363546508314793
This version was published on May 1, 2008
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
36/5/907    most recent
0363546508314793v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bisson, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Ehrensberger, M. T.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bisson, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Ehrensberger, M. T.
Related Collections
Right arrow Animal studies
Right arrow Biomechanics
Right arrow Shoulder
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36:907-912 (2008)
© 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

Influence of Suture Material on the Biomechanical Behavior of Suture-Tendon Specimens

A Controlled Study in Bovine Rotator Cuff

Leslie J. Bisson, MD{dagger},*, Leslie M. Manohar, MD{dagger}, Ryan D. Wilkins{dagger}, Jennifer Gurske-Deperio, MD{dagger} and Mark T. Ehrensberger, MS{ddagger}

From the {dagger} Department of Orthopaedics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, and {ddagger} Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York

* Address correspondence to Leslie J. Bisson, MD, University Orthopaedics, 4949 Harlem Road, Amherst, NY 14226 (e-mail: klbisson{at}aol.com).

Background: Despite technical advances in rotator cuff surgery, recurrent or persistent defects in the repaired tendon continue to occur. Improved strength of sutures and suture anchors has resulted in the most common site of failure being the suture-tendon interface.

Hypothesis: The type of suture material used has a significant effect on the biomechanics of the suture-tendon interface.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Thirty-two bovine infraspinatus specimens were randomly assigned to simple suture fixation using No. 2 Fiberwire, Ultrabraid, Orthocord, or Ethibond. Each specimen was subjected to cyclic testing from 5 to 30 N for 30 cycles, followed by load-to-failure testing.

Results: Cyclic testing revealed significantly greater elongation with Ultrabraid, whereas peak-to-peak displacements were lowest for Fiberwire and greatest for Orthocord. Load-to-failure testing revealed no significant differences between any suture material for ultimate tensile load. Fiberwire and Orthocord repairs had the highest stiffness. The most common failure mode during load-to-failure testing was suture breakage in Ethibond specimens and suture cutting through the tendon in the polyblend suture specimens.

Conclusion: The type of suture material has a significant effect on the biomechanical behavior of the suture-tendon interface.

Clinical Relevance: The type of suture may influence early gap formation and ultimate healing of rotator cuff repairs.

Key Words: rotator cuff repair • polyblend suture • bovine rotator cuff • shoulder surgery






HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.