Photoelastic models of wound closure stress

Areas of high stress in surgical closures are known to have adverse effects on wound healing.

To create a surgical model that will predict areas of high stress and allow for quantitative comparison of stress distributions in different closure geometries.

Surgical models were constructed consisting of soft polyurethane plastic. Surgical defects corresponding to A to T and O to T closures were cut in the plastic and then closed with silk interrupted sutures. The models were transilluminated with polarized light, photographed, and compared.

The A to T closure showed much less total stress than the O to T closure. The color-coded stress patterns indicate that each closure has its own distinct stress characteristics.

Photoelastic surgical models allow rapid and easy comparison of stress concentrations in different closure geometries. Such detailed information may allow the surgeon to avoid the adverse consequences of stress.