Tissue adhesive versus suture wound repair at 1 year: Randomized clinical trial correlating early, 3-month, and 1-year cosmetic outcome

Study objective: To compare the 1-year cosmetic outcome of wounds treated w ith octylcyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and monofilament sutures and to corr elate the early, 3-month, and 1-year cosmetic outcomes. Methods: We prospectively randomized 136 cases of traumatic laceration to r epair with octylcyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or 5-0 or smaller monofilamen t suture. A wound score was assigned by a research nurse, and validated by a second nurse blinded to the treatment, at 5 to 10 days after injury (earl y), 3 months, and 1 year. Standardized photographs were taken at 3 months a nd 1 year and shown to a cosmetic surgeon blinded to the method of closure, who rated the wounds on a validated cosmesis scale. Results: We were able to examine 77 lacerations at 1 year for follow-up. No differences were found in the demographic or clinical characteristics betw een groups. Likewise, at 1 year no difference was found in the optimal woun d scores (73% versus 68%, P=.60) or in visual analog scale cosmesis scores (69 versus 69 mm, P=.95) for octylcyanoacrylate and sutures, respectively. Agreement was poor between early and 3-month wound scores (kappa=.34; 95% c onfidence interval [CI],.10 to .58) but a strong association existed betwee n 3-month and 1-year wound scores (kappa=.71; 95% Cl,.52 to .90). We noted a moderate correlation between 3-month and 1-year results on the visual ana log cosmesis scale (intraclass correlation,.48; 95% Cl,.30 to .63). Conclusion: One year after wound repair, no difference is noted in the cosm etic outcomes of traumatic lacerations treated with octylcyanoacrylate tiss ue adhesive and sutures. The assessment of wounds 3 months after injury and wound repair provides a good measure of long-term cosmetic outcome.