Comparative mass of suture material involved in extracorporeal slip knots

Objective To compare the weights of commonly used extracorporeal slip knots . Design The weights of seven commonly used types of extracorporeal slip knot s and an intracorporeally tied flat square knot were compared. In each arm of the study, 17 knots were tied around a 5-mm jig using a laparoscopic tra iner. Knots were weighed using microscales. Setting A laboratory experiment. Main outcome measure Weight of knot loops in milligrams. Results The heaviest ligature was the modified Roeder knot. The Western kno t utilized less suture material than all the other knots studied. The flat square knot utilized less suture material than all the slip knots with the exception of the Western ligature. Conclusion As other studies have correlated suture mass with the incidence of wound infection, a ligature with a low weight should be chosen in prefer ence to the modified Roeder knot where possible.