Use of locking barbed sutures in foot and ankle surgery. A case series

Barbed sutures represent a novel technique for wound closure. By distributing tension forces across the length of a wound, it results in better wound healing. A recent article from Chowdhry et al. cautioned against the use of barbed sutures in foot and ankle surgery. Our experience with the Quill^® (Angiotech, Vancouver, BC) barbed suture, showed a more positive outcome.

123 surgical wounds were prospectively followed up after closure with a bidirectional barbed suture. The cohort represented a large range of patient ages and co-morbidities, as well as incision length and locations.

Complication rates were low in this large cohort. The total complication rate was 6.5% (8 wounds). One wound (0.8%) had a major infection that needed further surgery, and 2 wounds (1.6%) showed inflammatory related complications. The remaining 5 wounds (4%) had minor wound complications, which resolved without any further surgical intervention. Patient satisfaction rates were high, with 78% of incisions scoring at maximum on the visual analogue cosmesis score.

Use of the Quill^® (Angiotech, Vancouver, BC) suture is a safe and effective alternative for wound closure in foot and ankle surgery.