Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Murine Excisional Wound Healing Model and Histological Morphometric Wound Analysis
Published on: August 21, 2020
Small tissue bites and wound strength: an experimental study
Y Cengiz1, P Blomquist, L A Israelsson
1Department of Surgery, Sundsvall County Hospital, SE-85186 Sundsvall, Sweden. y.cengiz@swipnet.se
Hypothesis:
Placing stitches close to the cut wound edge does not produce low wound bursting strength in midline laparotomy incisions closed with a suture length:wound length ratio of 4.
Design:
Experimental study in rats.
Methods:
Midline incisions were closed with a running suture in 51 Sprague-Dawley rats. A suture length:wound length ratio of 4 was used and stitches were placed at a distance of 3, 6, or 10 mm from the wound edge. Wound bursting strength was studied immediately after and 4 days after wound closure.
Results:
Immediately after wound closure, bursting pressure was higher with stitches placed 10 mm from the wound edge than those at a distance of 3 mm. After 4 days, bursting pressure and bursting volume were lower with stitches placed 10 mm from the wound edge than those at a distance of 3 or 6 mm. The abdominal wall ruptured outside the suture line in 14 of 17 wounds closed with 21 stitches, in 11 of 17 wounds closed with 16 stitches, and in 6 of 17 wounds closed with 11 stitches (P=.02).
Conclusions:
Four days after closure of midline laparotomy incisions using a suture length-wound length ratio of 4, wound bursting strength is higher with stitches placed 3 to 6 mm from the wound edge than those at a distance of 10 mm. Wound bursting strength increases with the number of stitches used.
