EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF KNOTLESS BARBED SUTURES IN CAPSULAR CLOSURE FOLLOWING DISTAL FEMUR FRACTURE FIXATION

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Techniques
• Wound Management

Background:

• Effective wound closure is crucial for managing distal femur fractures, impacting infection rates and rehabilitation.
• Knotless barbed sutures offer potential benefits like time savings and even tension distribution.
• Limited research exists on barbed sutures' efficacy in distal femur fracture closure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of knotless barbed sutures versus traditional sutures for distal femur fracture wound closure.
• To compare closure time, functional outcomes, and postoperative complications between the two suturing methods.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study involving 47 adult patients with distal femur fractures treated with a locking plate.
• Patients were assigned to either knotless barbed sutures (bidirectional, PDO) or traditional sutures (Vicryl and Ethibond).
• Key outcomes included knee joint flexion, wound closure time, and complication rates.

Main Results:

• Mean knee flexion was comparable between groups (105.7° barbed vs. 110.4° traditional; p=0.2133).
• Wound closure time was significantly shorter in the barbed suture group (p<0.05).
• Needle prick injuries were more frequent in the traditional suture group; infection and stitch abscess rates were similar between groups.

Conclusions:

• Knotless barbed sutures provide an efficient wound closure method for distal femur fractures.
• This technique significantly reduces closure time without increasing complication rates compared to conventional sutures.
• Barbed sutures represent a viable alternative for optimizing surgical efficiency in distal femur fracture management.