Ex vivo mechanical testing of various suture patterns for use in tendon plating

Abstract

Objective: To determine the influence of suture patterns on resistance to gap formation after tendon plating. Study Design: Ex vivo study. Sample Population: Suspensory ligament and superficial and deep digital flexor tendons harvested from 16 neonatal cadaver foal limbs. Methods: Each tendon/ligament from a given limb was randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups consisting of a 7-hole veterinary cuttable plate fixed with alternating simple interrupted, figure-8, or hybrid suture patterns. The constructs were distracted at a rate of 1.0 mm/s to failure, as determined by the formation of a 1 mm gap for initial failure and a 3 mm gap for ultimate failure. The mode of failure was also recorded. Results: Constructs prepared with hybrid and figure-8 patterns sustained over 2× higher (p