The comparison of staples and prolene suture for wound closure in total knee arthroplasty patients: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: The wound closure method applied after total knee replacement, plays a critical role in the success of the surgery. Various skin closure methods have been described in the literature in order to reduce infection rates, shorten the surgical time, and increase patient satisfaction. However, there is no standardized guideline on which type of suture should be used. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency and safety of staples with prolene sutures in wound closure after total knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: Eighty-five patients that underwent total knee arthroplasty between January 2021 and October 2021 were retrospectively assessed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the wound closure method. The two groups were compared in terms of wound complication rate, operative time, postoperative hospitalization duration, and Likert scale level of patient satisfaction. Results: The majority (87.1%) of the patients were women . The mean age of the patients was 64.6±7.2 (range, 45-79). The prolene suture group had no wound complications while the staples group had five (11.9%) (p