POSTER ABSTRACTS - ISAKOS

E-poster w/ Standard #945
Comparison and Performance Characteristics
of Two Suture Materials Used for Shoulder
Arthroscopy
Darius M Moezzi, San Diego, CA, USA
Fred Serra-Hsu, San Diego, CA USA
Andrew Mahar, San Diego, CA USA
Robert A Pedowitz, San Diego, CA USA, Presenter
Department of Orthopaedics, Children's Hospital,
San Diego, CA, USA
Background: Persistant defects and early failures
of arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs may be due in
part to the technical challenges with both knot
and loop security.
Purpose: To compare the biomechanical
performance of a standard suture material with a
new suture material using several arthroscopic
knot configurations.
Type of study: Controlled laboratory study.
Methods: Three knots were evaluated (Duncan
loop, Weston, and San Diego knot) using two
suture materials (No. 2 Ethibond (Ethicon) and
No. 2 Force Fiber (Stryker)). Ten Samples were
tested for each knot and suture configuration. All
knots were tied by a single surgeon using
arthroscopic instruments via cannulas in order to
standardize surgical technique. Samples were
pretensioned to 10N and loaded from 10N to 45N
for 1000 cycles using a MTS machine. Intact knots
were then subjected to a load-to-failure test, and
maximum load was calculated as the ultimate
failure strength of the material.
Results: Force Fiber was significantly stronger
than Ethibond across all knot types (p