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Updated: Apr 30, 2026
Learning Modern Laryngeal Surgery in a Dissection Laboratory
Published on: March 18, 2020
Mechanical properties of various suture materials and placement patterns tested with surrogate in vitro model
Marcos P Santos1, Santiago D Gutierrez-Nibeyro, Gavin P Horn
1Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61802.
Objective:
To compare the mechanical properties of laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) surrogate constructs prepared with steel fixtures and No. 5 braided polyester or braided polyethylene by use of a standard or a modified suture placement technique.
Sample:
32 LTF surrogate constructs.
Procedures:
Surrogate constructs were prepared with steel fixtures and sutures (polyester or polyethylene) by use of a standard or modified suture placement technique. Constructs underwent single-load-to-failure testing. Maximal load at failure, elongation at failure, stiffness, and suture breakage sites were compared among constructs prepared with polyester sutures by means of the standard (n = 10) or modified (10) technique and those prepared with polyethylene sutures with the standard (6) or modified (6) technique.
Results:
Polyethylene suture constructs had higher stiffness, higher load at failure, and lower elongation at failure than did polyester suture constructs. Constructs prepared with the modified technique had higher load at failure than did those prepared with the standard technique for both suture materials. All sutures broke at the knot in constructs prepared with the standard technique. Sutures broke at a location away from the knot in 13 of 16 constructs prepared with the modified technique (3 such constructs with polyethylene sutures broke at the knot).
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
Results suggested LTF surrogate constructs prepared with polyethylene sutures or the modified technique were stronger than those prepared with polyester sutures or the standard technique.
