THE ROLE OF SUTURE MATERIAL IN HYPERTROPHIC SCAR FORMATION - MONOCRYLVS. VICRYL-RAPIDE

The development of hypertrophic scars and keloids is an unsolved probl em in the process of wound healing, There are indications that inflamm ation plays an important role in this process, but its exact mechanism remains unclear. In this study the amount of inflammation and the dev elopment of hypertrophic scars and keloids was investigated in inframa mmary skin incisions sutured with synthetic absorbable suture material s: a monofilamentous suture (Monocryl) compared with a multifilamentou s suture (Vicryl-rapide). In 81 breast reduction patients Monocryl (N = 28) has proved to give significantly smaller, less reactive scars wi th a lower tendency toward hypertrophic scar formation compared with V icryl-rapide (N = 53).