Arthroscopic suture tying: A comparison of knot types and suture materials

The purpose of this study was to determine the structural properties of 3 a rthroscopically tied knots using 2 different suture materials: the French k not, the Duncan loop knot, and the original Revo knot. Type of Study: Cohor t analytic study. Methods: The sutures used were No. I PDS II, an absorbent monofilament, and No. 1 Ethibond (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ), a braided nona bsorbent material. The resulting 6 suture-knot combinations were individual ly tested to failure in both open-and closed-loop configurations. Results: The French knot showed the greatest strength compared with the Duncan loop and the Revo knot with both No. 1 Ethibond and No. 1 PDS II sutures (P < .0 5). The No. 1 Ethibond exhibited higher initial stiffness chan the No. 1 PD S II for all 3 knot types (P < .05). Results were similar for both open and closed-loop configurations. Also, the French knot failed predominantly by suture breakage instead of knot slippage For both suture materials. Conclus ions: The results of this study suggest that, among the suture and knot com binations investigated in this study, the arthroscopic repair of musculoske letal injuries should be performed using the French knot and No. 1 Ethibond suture.