Making strong cords from surgical sutures


Published online: Apr 27 2006

Ronald Landsmeer, Vikas Khanduja, Andrew New, Sivakolundu Pachai Suresh, Khalil Shah, Mark Loeffler

From Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, United Kingdom and the Anglia Polytechnic University, South Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Abstract

The authors present a simple and cost effective technique of preparing strong cords from surgical sutures. The technique requires suture material, a drill, a clip and it takes less than a minute to prepare. The mechanical strength of the cord obtained by this method was compared to the mechanical strength of a single suture. Cords containing eight thicknesses of the suture material failed at slightly under eight times the single suture strength. A loop made out of cords of number 2 Vicryl or Dexon failed at loads of more than 1000 N. The authors have found these cords extremely useful and effective for reconstruction of the dislocated acromio-clavicular joint and also for the fixation of trans-femoral osteotomies.