The use of a barbed suture in hip and knee replacement wound closure

摘要

Barbed sutures are created by machining the suture to create tiny excrescences or barbs. This results in a roughened surface that does not slip within the tissue and acts like a ratcheting device, gathering tissue and holding tension imparted by the surgeon while eliminating the need for knots. It does allow you to use fewer sutures per case, which means fewer needles on the field and less handling of needles during closure. It is relatively easy to adopt while compared to standard suture and is associated with comparable efficacy and complication rate and reduction in the time required for closure.