Multifilament Stainless Steel as a Core Suture Material in Flexor Tendon Repair

Abstract

Over the past decades flexor tendons have been repaired using many repair configurations and suture types. The result of the repair depends on the method of attachment of the suture to the tendon(1), as well as the characteristics of the suture material (2). Both the ultimate tensile strength of the repair and the force needed to produce a 2mm gap at the repair site are important(3). Ultimate tensile strength and gap formation depend on the number of strands crossing the repair site, the characteristics of the suture material(4,5), and the repair configuration to the tendon. Stiffer sutures allow less gap formation for the same applied force(5). The repair also depends on the knot holding ability of the suture, because sutures fail most frequently at the knots. This is either because the knots untie or the suture is weakened at these points. The ideal combination is a suture technique that provides a strong attachment to the tendon, with a suture that is strong and resists elongation. Combined with these features the method should also be relatively simple to perform, with suture that is manageable and easy to tie.