• M Schädel-Höpfner, J Windolf, T T Lögters, M Hakimi, and I Celik.
• Department of Trauma and Hand Surgery, University Hospital, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. schaedel@uni-duesseldorf.de.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg S. 2011 Feb 1;37(1):79-84.

IntroductionThe purpose of this experimental study was to evaluate the biomechanical characteristics of two new four-strand core suture techniques for flexor tendon repair.Materials And MethodsThe two new suture techniques (Marburg 1, Marburg 2) are characterized by four longitudinal stitches which are anchored by a circular or semicircular suture. They were compared with three commonly used core suture techniques (modified Kessler, Tsuge, Bunnell). Fifty porcine flexor tendons were randomly assigned to one of the five core suture techniques. Outcome measures included ultimate tensile strength, maximum of lengthening, mode of failure and 1 mm gap formation force.ResultsThe highest ultimate tensile strength was found for the modified Kessler technique (115 N). Both new techniques showed an ultimate load exceeding 50 N (57 N for Marburg 1, 54 N for Marburg 2). The Marburg 1 technique showed the highest gap resistance of all tested suture techniques. The Bunnell and Tsuge core suture techniques produced the poorest mechanical performance.ConclusionFrom these experimental results, the new Marburg 1 core suture technique can be considered for flexor tendon repair in a clinical setting with the use of active motion protocols.

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