COMPARISON OF POLYDIOXANONE AND POLYGLACTIN-910 IN INTRADERMAL REPAIR

A prospective clinical study was undertaken to compare the results of intradermal layer closure using two popular absorbable suture material s, polydioxanone and polyglactin 910. On an alternating basis, 6-0 pol ydioxanone and 6-0 polyglactin 910 were used to repair 80 surgical sit es of the temple and occipital regions in 20 patients undergoing facia l rhytidectomy. In all instances, the superficial skin layer was repai red with 6-0 plain catgut. These sites were evaluated by a double-blin d method for erythema, induration, infection, scar spread, and hypertr ophic scarring at approximately 5 months and at least 1 year postopera tively. Scar spread was indicated at widths greater than 1 mm. Any rai sed scar was labeled hypertrophic. Scar spread, as defined above, was observed in 6 of 38 incisions repaired with polyglactin 910, and 3 sit es developed scar hypertrophy. Conversely, 3 of 38 incisions closed wi th polydioxanone revealed scar spread (p < 0.25), and 3 were hypertrop hic (p < 0.35). Sixty-one sites healed with undiscernible scars. This study does not disclose any statistically significant difference in th e quality of the scars when polyglactin 910 is used compared with poly dioxanone.