Researchers recently compared 90 female patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with two different methods of incision closure. Their results were published in Spine.
The researchers assigned the patients randomly to either receive a surgical zipper or a 4-0 absorbable subcuticular suture for incision closure. The incisions was evaluated and compared. Researchers found:
• Incision closure using the zipper took less time than the subcuticular suture
• There was no significant difference of Hollander Incision Evaluation Scores between the two groups
• Patient satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome on a linear visual analogue scale was similar between the two groups
• Postoperative complications were similar — there was one case of mild blister due to allergy to the tape of the dressing and two cases of incision pain in the Monocryl suture group
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