Measurements of tension on wound edges after strip harvest surgery

To measure the wound closure tension after strip surgery.

The study was conducted in a private setup on patients undergoing first hair restoration surgery. The donor strip was marked with the patient in sitting position after checking the vertical scalp mobility. Six stitches of nonabsorbable suture were passed through the intact skin with a loop of 3-4 cm; two stitches were passed in the midline and two on either side. The end of the digital scale was passed through the loop. The scales were then pulled in the opposite direction to measure the tension. The tension was measured at all three points, that is, A, B, & C. The data were collected and reviewed statistically.

A total of 20 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 33.05 years. The mean wound closure tension in the midline (point A & A') was 2.3115 lb-f (range 0.30-3.69), whereas the tension at point B & B' was 2.562 lb-f (range 0.36-4.03) and 2.6345 lb-f (range 0.51-4.71) at C & C', respectively. The average tension after removal of 10-mm strip was 0.90 lb-f. The removal of 11-mm-wide strip resulted in 2.693 lb-f, 12 mm removal had 2.445 lb-f, 13 mm removal had 2.545 lb-f, 14 mm removal had 2.701 lb-f, and 15 mm removal had 3.063 lb-f average.

Measurement of wound closure tension is important to be kept minimal in order to obtain a good scar.