Modified Subcutaneous Buried Horizontal Mattress Suture Compared With Vertical Buried Mattress Suture

A Modified Suture Technique to Improve Scar Appearance in Wounds Under High Tension

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to introduce a modified suture technique and to compare its effects on skin scar formation with 2 traditional suture methods: simple interrupted suture (SIS) and vertical mattress suture (VMS). Three groups of healthy adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were selected (6 replicates in each group), and the full-thickness skin of 5 cm × 0.2 cm was cut off on the back of the rats after anesthesia. The wounds were then sutured using 1 of the 3 methods for each group: SIS, VMS, and a newly introduced modified vertical mattress suture (M-VMS) technique with the needle reinsertion at the exit point. A traction device was installed on the back of the rats to achieve high tension wounds. The tensile distance was increased by 1 mm every day for 20 days. After 20 days of healing, the hematoxylin-eosin staining method was used for observation of scar morphology. The collagen production rate was measured by Masson staining, and the type I collagen and type III collagen were detected by the immunofluorescence method. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot techniques were used to detect the expressions of transforming growth factors TGFβ1, TGFβ2, and TGFβ3 to understand the mechanisms of scar formation. Results showed that the quantity and density of collagen fibers were both lower in the M-VMS group than in the other 2 groups. Immunofluorescence results showed that type I collagen was significantly lower, whereas type III collagen was significantly higher in the M-VMS group than in the other 2 groups. The expressions of α-smooth muscle actin and TGFβ1 both were lower in the M-VMS group than in the other 2 groups. The expression of TGFβ2 and TGFβ3 had no obvious difference among the 3 groups. For wounds under high tension, compared with SIS and VMS methods, the M-VMS technique we proposed can reduce scar formation due to the reduction of collagen formation, myofibroblast expression, and TGFβ1 expression.

[The research progress of tension-reducing suture of deep layer skin]

OBJECTIVE

To provide systematic information for deep understanding and improvement of tension-reducing suture of deep layer skin.

METHODS

The related literature over the years was extensively collected and precisely processed to summarize the characteristics and applications of different tension-reducing suture of deep layer skin.

RESULTS

Throughout the development of plastic surgery, tension-reducing suture of deep layer skin mainly includes vertical mattress suture and its modified styles, horizontal mattress suture and its modified styles, and some special types of suture technique, and each one of them has its own characteristics and is suitable for wounds with different tension and shape.

CONCLUSION

Clinically, surgeons need to select appropriate tension-reducing suture techniques according to specific factors such as wound location and tension, so as to fully reduce the tension of the wound, which can achieve good wound healing and prevent the pathological scaring.

The Origin and Development of Interrupted Subcuticular Suture: An Important Technique for Achieving Optimum Wound Closure

BACKGROUND

Subcuticular suture is an important technique for achieving optimum wound closure, and there has been no comprehensive summary of subcuticular sutures to date.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the origin and development of interrupted subcuticular suture to help clinicians improve their wound closure skills.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive review of subcuticular suture techniques was conducted in PubMed to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and clinical indications.

RESULTS

Buried suture is the oldest subcuticular suture technique, followed by buried vertical mattress suture, intracutaneous butterfly suture, modified/variant buried vertical mattress suture, intradermal buried vertical mattress suture, buried horizontal mattress suture, wedge-section and modified buried vertical mattress suture, set-back suture, and modified buried horizontal mattress suture, which have gradually been applied in clinical practice. Buried vertical mattress suture is currently the most widely used subcuticular suture technique.

CONCLUSION

Patients can certainly benefit from the appropriate application of subcuticular suture. There is also no single ideal method for achieving optimal results in all cases. Fully understanding the history of subcuticular suture can help doctors improve their wound closure technique.

[Application of Zunyi's Suture Method for donor site of anterolateral thigh flap]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of multiple tension reduction suture of in-situ return needle vertical mattress suture and in-situ return needle horizontal mattress suture combination with intradermal intermittent continuous suture (denominated as Zunyi's Suture Method) on suturing the donor site of the anterolateral thigh flap.

METHODS

Between January 2019 and December 2019, 62 patients were treated with anterolateral thigh flaps to repair wounds. There were 46 males and 16 females, aged 9-67 years (mean, 31 years). The size of anterolateral thigh flap ranged from 6 cm×5 cm to 25 cm×7 cm. The donor site of the flap was sutured directly by the Zunyi's Suture Method. The skin on both sides of the incision was advanced to the middle, and the wound edge was attached and in a state of negative tension. The intradermal suture line was removed at 7 days after operation. The complications and scars at donor site were observed during follow-up. The Vancouver Scar Scale was used to assess the appearance of scars and the width of scars were measured at 6 months after operation.

RESULTS

The flaps survived smoothly, and the wounds healed by first intention. The incisions at donor sites healed by first intention at 2 to 3 weeks after operation. All patients were followed up 7-16 months, with an average of 10.7 months. There was no ischemic necrosis of the donor site or skin threading. There was pigmentation of the needle back point in the early stage, and the pigmentation completely disappeared after 3 to 6 months without scar hyperplasia. At 6 months after operation, liner scars were achieved in all the patients with an average Vancouver Scar Scale score of 2.5 (range, 1.0-3.5) and an average width of 2.4 mm (range, 0.8-9.1 mm).

CONCLUSION

The suture of the donor site of the anterolateral thigh flap with Zunyi's Suture Method can effectively reduce the tension on wound edges and scar hyperplasia.

Applying the Chinese Wood Joinery Mortise-and-Tenon Principle to Repair Widening Surface Scars

We applied the classical Chinese wood joinery mortise-and-tenon principle to repair widening surface scars caused by incision tension. Along the outer margin of surface scars, the top half of the scar tissue was cut and removed. The authors designed serial tenon structures on the retained dermal surface of the scar and a series of corresponding mortise structures in the dermal tissue on the opposite side of the incision. Finally, the mortise and tenon structures were integrated and sutured, resulting in tensionless closure. Thirty-two surface scars were repaired with this method. The follow-up time ranged from 6 to 24 months. The incisions healed in the form of fine linear scars. No widening scars were observed in this series. The proposed mortise-and-tenon scar repair technique can effectively reduce incision tension and thus reduce scar formation at the incision site. The authors recommend this technique as an alternative effective method for revising widening surface scars.