Abstract
Split tendons are widely used for reconstructive procedures around wrist and hand. Different materials are used to split the tendons. There is no consensus about the most suitable material for splitting a live tendon. We compared a range of commonly available suture materials to find the best material for the purpose.
11 different suture materials (Vicryl 2/0, Ethibond 0, Ethibond 2/0, Prolene 2/0, Prolene 3/0, Silk 2/0, Steel Wire 2/0, Steel Wire 3/0, Steel Wire 4/0, PDS 2/0, Fibrewire 2/0) were used to split the flexor tendons of pig’s trotters. They were assessed for
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their ablity to split the tendon successfully,
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average force required to split the tendon,
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quality of the split tendon graft.
Each material was tested on 3 different tendons at different times. Quality of split tendons were assessed by 2 independent and blinded observers.
All suture materials except Vicryl 2/0 were successful in splitting the tendon. Silk produced a poor quality split whilst steel wire and fibre wire resulted in excellent quality grafts. The rest produced intermediate results. The force required to split the tendon was the least for PDS 2/0 followed by Fibrewire. Steel wire and silk required higher forces to split the tendon.
From our study we concluded that fibre wire is the best material to split a live tendon as it produced a high quality split with excellent handling characteristics and required minimal strength. Wire suture produced a high quality split, however they were awkward to use as they necessitated use of a holder due to the higher forces required to split the tendon.
Correspondence should be addressed to BOSA at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE, England.
