Abstract
We performed a biomechanical study comparing two sutures (Ticron; Ethibond Exel) commonly used in flexor tendon surgery. With the use of a custom-made tensile tester ultimate load to failure testing with and without cyclic preloading was performed. The median breaking strength of the Ticron suture was 28 N without and 27.4 N with cyclic preloading, for the Ethibond Exel suture 33 N without and 34 N with cyclic preloading. The mean elongation after cyclic preloading was 3.3 mm for the Ticron suture and 4.5 mm for the Ethibond Exel suture, respectively. On the basis of these data, recommendations are made on the use of the Ethibond Exel suture for flexor tendon surgery.
Key words
Ticron - Ethibond Exel - sutures - biomechanical testing
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Dr. J. T. Hausmann
Universitätsklinik für Unfallchirurgie
Währinger Gürtel 18-20
1090 Wien
Austria
Phone: +43/1/4 04 00 59 02
Fax: +43/1/4 04 00 59 49
Email: tillhausmann@gmx.at
