A MUSCLE-CLAMPING SYSTEM WITH AN ABSORBABLE JAW CLIP TO REDUCE SUTURING IN STRABISMUS SURGERY

Most of the ocular complications of strabismus surgery are related to needle trauma during the suturing of muscles. The authors have develop ed a muscle-clamping system with an absorbable jaw clip to facilitate exact techniques of-eye muscle surgery and to reduce the risk of compl ications. The absorbable jaw clip is composed of a lower fixing body w ith three jaws and an upper supporting body. The clip is used to tie a n extraocular muscle (which is moved and reattached with the membrane) with a single scleral bite. Using the absorbable jaw clip, the author s performed superior rectus recession on 16 eyes of sight rabbits. The authors examined the conjunctival injection, muscle adhesion power, a nd light microscopic findings at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively, The conjunctival injection diminished with time. Bond strengths range d from 380 to 620 gram gravity, which is sufficient to withstand the n ormal pull of human extraocular muscles. Some inflammatory cells were found microscopically, and fibrosis increased with time. The muscle-cl amping method with the newly invented clip was technically easy, fast, and exact, and it may reduce suturing and complications during strabi smus surgery.