Biomechanical evaluation of a novel subcuticular skin stapling device for use in equine abdominal surgeries.

This research compares a new subcuticular stapling device’s biomechanical attributes with customary methods used for closing the abdominal skin during equine (horse) abdominal surgeries. It found that while the novel device had the lowest ultimate failure load, its other characteristics could offer clinical benefits.

Research Methodology

• The test implemented a randomized, matched in vitro design. In Vitro (Latin for ‘in glass’) studies are carried out with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. In this case, the experiment used equine ventral median abdominal skin specimens. In total, 24 horse abdominal skin samples were used.
• Four types of closure equipment were tested for this study – Subcuticular absorbable staples (SAS), metallic staples (MS), polyglyconate suture (PG), and nylon monofilament (NYL).
• These were applied to longitudinally slashed portions of the horse abdominal skin.
• The study recorded the load causing the initial failure and the ultimate failure load and its mechanism for each test and device used.

Research Findings

• Results of the biomechanical test showed no significant difference between the PG, NYL, and SAS in terms of the load causing the initial failure.
• However, the load at initial failure for PG and SAS was significantly higher than that for MS.
• When it comes to ultimate failure load (the maximum load that the sample could withstand before failing), PG and NYL performed better than either MS or SAS. This indicates superior strength and longevity when using PG or NYL sutures.
• Interestingly, the study discovered that nearly all failures in the suture groups (PG and NYL) occurred due to ‘skin pull through,’ which is the pulling of suture material through the tissue instead of remaining secure. Conversely, all SAS staples failed because of staple fracture.

Conclusions

• Despite showing the lowest ultimate failure load, the novel stapling method (SAS) demonstrated certain features that might be useful in a clinical setting. While it was not explicitly stated in the abstract what these beneficial characteristics were, they suggest potential advantages over other methods.