PURPOSE: To study the tensile strength of the abdominal wall following laparotomy synthesis utilizing three types of surgical wires. METHODS: Thirty Wistar rats were randomized into three groups of ten rats each. Each group underwent a 3cm-laparotomy which was closed with 3-0 polyglactin 910, polyglecrapone and catgut wires. After 63 days, euthanasia was performed and part of the abdominal wall was removed with which a strip was produced measuring 2.0 cm in length by 6.0 cm in width comprising the abdominal muscles with the implanted mesh. The sample was fixed in a mechanical test machine in which constant force was applied contrary to the tissue strips. Maximum force was considered, expressed in Newton, until full rupture of the tissue occurred. The non-parametrical Kruskal - Wallis test was used for the statistical analysis, admitting p<0.05. RESULTS: The average strength of the catgut group was slightly lower (33.50 N) than that of the polyglactin group (34.23 N), the difference not being statistically significant (p=0.733). The polyglecaprone group was the one which presented the lowest strength value of all three wires analyzed (29.86 N). No statistical difference was obtained when comparing the strength values of the polyglecaprone group and the catgut group (p=0.06 ). However, when the polyglecaprone group was compared to the polyglactin 910 group no statistical difference was obtained (p=0.029). CONCLUSION: The polyglactin wire presented the highest tensile strength among the three wires analyzed, such value being statistically significant when polyglactin was compared to the polyglecaprone wire.
Surgery; Tensile strength; Rats
