Data from cyclic tensile tests on sutured organs to evaluate creep behaviour, distraction, and residual thread strength

Abstract

A number of applications in the surgical practice are based on tensile sutures aimed to keep soft tissues in place and compensate the exit of neuropathies, prolapses or general tissue relaxation. Long-term behaviour of these constructs need to be carefully examined in order to define tensile forces to be applied and to compare different suture anchors.Data here reported refer to equine laryngoplasties, where a suitable loading system has been designed in order to be able to test sutures in-sito, applying known forces (“On-site testing of sutured organs: an experimental set up to cyclically tighten sutures” (Pascoletti et al., 2020 [1])). The loading protocol was made of two steps: in the first step, 3000 loading cycles have been performed; in the following step, a tensile test up to rupture was performed.Cyclic load/displacement curves allow evaluating suture distraction, as a consequence of suture migration and/or soft tissues creep. Tensile curves allow evaluating the residual thread strength and its ultimate displacement.These data can provide a detailed insight of long-term suture behaviour and can be a reference to compare different threads and/or suture anchors.

Keywords

• Suture testing
• Distraction
• Failure
• Creep
• Neuropathy
• Tissue relaxation