A Systematic Review of Suture Technologies in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Over time, various materials and techniques have been developed for superficial and deep wound closure. However, potential complications, such as infections and dehiscences, can still occur, driving the development of new closure modalities. As wound closure technology continues to advance and change, the need to continuously evaluate the current techniques and materials persists. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the current literature on the various closure materials and techniques utilized for total knee arthroplasty. Specifically, we evaluated: 1) closure times; 2) infections and complication rates; as well as 3) costs related to superficial and deep wound closures. Based on the findings from the current literature, barbed suture was associated with significantly shorter closing times in all five studies when compared to interrupted sutures (p<0.05). Additionally, the use of barbed sutures may result in similar postoperative complication rates. Although the cost of an individual barbed suture is potentially higher than the cost of an individual conventional suture, a knotless technique can require a shorter suture length, which might also help decrease costs.